The Learning Garden at Old Town Elementary was started in 2017 and has been growing ever since! What began as twelve raised beds now encompasses almost a 1⁄2 acre of mixed vegetables and flowers. Fruit trees, trail systems, forest classrooms, mushroom logs, pollinator gardens and 12’x30’ greenhouse weave their way through the grounds allowing teachers to incorporate the garden throughout the curriculum for over 400 students. There are additional unique features in the garden such as a native plant nursery and beautiful art work done by students throughout the grounds.
The garden’s close proximity to the University of Maine in Orono provides multiple opportunities throughout the year. Students engage in agricultural field trips to Rogers Farm and receive instruction from guest speakers representing a number of departments including forestry and sustainable agriculture. They are also a registered site for Master Gardener volunteers to contribute their community service hours. Throughout the years MGV have given thousands of hours of their time helping to maintain the gardens. Christina Lannan, herself a Master Gardener, attributes much of the garden’s success to the amazing partnership they have been able to develop with the University and Cooperative Extension.
The garden hosts a number of community events including a plant sale, costume fun run, and holiday lights display. The dedicated volunteers and staff who run the garden work hard to bring in guest speakers, organize field trips and create an engaging outdoor space for students and the community year round.
Students take pride in planting and harvesting the bounty for the school’s farm stand from May to October. Open to both Old Town Elementary School families and the public, the farm stand has created an opportunity for the school to donate produce to the community. In addition to what is grown on school grounds, through partnerships with the University of Maine and local commercial farms, they were able to give away over 6000 lbs of fruits and vegetables in 2022!
Here is a sample list of yearly projects and field trips by grade level:
- Pre-K Planting fall bulbs, planting potatoes
- Kindergarten Planting sunflowers
- First grade Pressing apple cider
- Second grade Year long focus on native plants and pollinators- 2nd graders go on a Spring and Fall trip to Rogers to learn about pollinators, participate in our “Pollinator Protector” program and winter sow natives for our native plant nursery. They also harvest seed, make and decorate native seed packets for winter events. They maintain a pollinator garden that is a registered monarch waystation. Mrs. Keane’s 2nd grade class is also our “carrot crew” harvesting and washing carrots for our farm stand every week in September and October.
- Third grade (new this year) Learning about plant adaptations and environmental traits (NGSS tie in) through a field trip to the Orono Bog walk and our new greenhouse carnivorous plants.
- Fourth grade Spring and Fall field trips to Rogers farm to both mechanically and hand plant/harvest potatoes with the researchers from the University of Maine (ties into 4th grades focus on Maine and Maine agriculture).
- Fifth grade (new this year) Mushroom log workshop. The fifth grade worked with Tiny Acres Farm in a day long workshop to inoculate over 40 logs with shiitake mushroom spawn. (ties into Decomposers unit, Web of Life NGSS)
The school also has a yellow bulb project that was started with the guidance counselors to raise awareness for mental health during the month of May. Although students plant over 300 bulbs each fall, last year they added a specific bed just of yellow. The cheerful pop of yellow after a long winter is a welcome sight right at the entrance to the school and they are looking forward to making the circle bigger every year!
Want to know more?
Email Christina Lannan, Old Town Elementary Garden Coordinator, at schoolgardengrown@gmail.com
You’re invited to a Summer Garden Tour at Old Town Elementary
Wednesday, August 16th at 3:00 pm!
Garden coordinators will lead a tour, discuss how the community uses the space and host a potluck plus showcase their new wheelchair accessible paths, outdoor sink and Spanish in the Garden program!
To RSVP and receive directions please email: rachel@msgn.org
