At Whitefield Elementary School, the garden and aquaponics program provide hands-on learning for middle school science classes with the younger grade students helping out with tasks like planting seeds. The aquaponics program uses waste from fish at the school to fertilize the garden and the plants and produce grown are not only for educational purposes and eating but also help fund the program from proceeds raised at the annual seedling and pumpkin sales.
Starting with an aquaponics greenhouse in 2015, in 2020 they expanded the school garden program to include a small hoop house, giving some traditional growing space so they could grow seedlings for garden use and to sell. After Covid they added a large hoop house designed to provide even more growing space which also serves as an outdoor classroom space during the winter months.
With assistance from Middle School science classes, the school is able to maintain the garden program during the school year by providing lettuce from their aquaponics system to the school cafeteria and other schools in the district on a regular basis while also growing a variety of veggies that are utilized by their food service from their main gardens.
Summer
During the summer, the Garden Club meets once a week and maintains the garden (members often leave with lots of veggies to show for their hard work!). In addition, summer harvests are shared with community members to enjoy.
Fall
Fall is a busy time with an annual pumpkin sale to support the program. This is also when they spend time to winterize the gardens, plant garlic and prepare for the winter cold that is on its way!
Winter
Late winter is a busy time with planting seeds to prepare for their annual Seedling Sale in the spring and the garden.
Spring
Spring is spent tending seedlings, preparing for the sale and getting gardens ready to start the process all over again!
Want to know more?!
- Karen McCormick at kmccormick@svrsu.org or Tim Davis at tdavis@svrsu.org
- Diggin’ into Whitefield’s Roots: Seventh Graders Discuss Gardening Program
- Whitefield Elementary School Garden Garden Directory listing
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- Whitefield Elementary School science and social studies teacher Karen McCormick hands off the sprinkling can to seventh grader Audrey Tibbetts to water the plants, which will be sold at Whitefield Elementary’s seedling sale on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20. (Meira Bienstock photo)
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- From left: Whitefield Elementary School seventh graders Bristol Jewett, Stella Martinelli, and Audrey Tibbetts, stand outside the small greenhouse, getting excited to see their seedlings being sold at the seedling sale Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20. (Meira Bienstock photo)
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- Plants are lined up in the hoop house, all tagged and ready to be sold at the seedling sale on Friday, May 19 and Saturday, May 20 at Whitefield Elementary School. (Meira Bienstock photo)
