By Dan Aceto

Staff Writer

At most schools, playing in the dirt is not a regular classroom activity. For students at Wentworth Intermediate, however, it’s all in a day’s work.

The school, which began a gardening program two years ago with help from local teachers and community members, teaches children the benefits and importance of learning to grow their own food. 

The response has been more than enthusiastic.
“I like to see the plants grow!” said Delilah Bennett, a third-grade student at the school.
“I like making the foods,” said Kelby Woolverton, a fellow third-grader.

“I like gardens!” said Catherine Vogel, also in third grade.

The garden, which is home to an array of plants, vegetables, flowers and a particular type of corn used for popcorn, was first planted by Jennifer Winger, a master gardener of the Maine Cooperative Extension program and Joanne Stuart, a fourth-grade teacher at the school.
  “It’s a great representation of our school,” Stuart said.

Julie Harrison, the mother of a Wentworth student and who helps in the garden, said teachers were inspired by a similar program that began four years ago at Pleasant Hill School. 

“It’s sort of an evolution that has happened. The programs have been an entire school community effort,” Harrison said.

Roger Doiron of Kitchen Gardeners International began the program at Pleasant Hill School and founded a group called Scarborough Schools Gardens, which promotes gardening throughout Scarborough.

Doiron was awarded the Garden Crusaders Award by Gardeners Supply Co. in Vermont because of his continued efforts in kitchen gardening throughout Maine and around the world, including the White House. He donated proceeds of his $1,000 award toward supplies for school gardens throughout Scarborough.  

“I would like to see Scarborough become a leader in garden-based education in Maine as part of a larger effort to become a sustainable and livable community, but it won’t happen by accident. There needs to be a community-wide commitment. We’ve shown both with our academic and athletic programs that we’re capable of excellence when we put our mind to something,” Doiron said.

Harrison said parents in the community have been more than willing to tend to the garden during summer when teachers are away from school. 

“Everyone is very committed. There is a whole network of parents that sign up to maintain the garden,” she said.

Parents who volunteer are allowed to take home a portion of food harvested throughout summer and the remainder is donated to various pantries, including Good Shepherd Food Bank.

Aside from donations, one of the major fundraisers to support growth of the garden has been an annual spring flower bulb sale. The program, “Flower Power,” is an Internet-based catalog that allows customers to pick and choose what they want to purchase. Half of all proceeds go directly to the garden program. Last year students raised more than $1,200 toward the purchase of new equipment and seeds.

Stuart said her goal is to eventually incorporate the garden into studies at the school, including math and science.

Catherine Hewitt, a  third- and fourth-grade teacher involved in the program, thinks a variety of subjects can be tied to gardening. 

“I think there are numerous benefits to incorporating a school garden into the students’ education. Almost every subject can be woven into a hands-on experience. We are about to plant garlic, which will include a lesson that introduces history, geography, latitude, Latin and diameter,” Hewitt said.

Karin Kelly, a fourth-grade teacher at the school involved in the program, has already begun to relate what students are learning in the garden to subjects taught in the classroom. Kelly said when students learned about Native American culture and crops they harvested, children in the class planted what is known as the “three sisters,” or beans, squash and corn.

But growing the food is only half the fun – the children also cook.

Last week students used a variety of herbs and tomatoes grown in the garden to create a sauce for an afternoon pizza party. Food from the garden has also been featured in the school cafeteria. 

Hewitt said the experience is something that goes beyond the classroom.

“More important than the subjects that can be taught is the cultivation of their sense of wonder. Seeing the progression of planting a seed to eating a pizza with sauce made from the garden is a pretty amazing process,” Hewitt said.

But how did the sauce taste?

“Really good!” the students unanimously agreed.

Staff Writer Dan Aceto can be reached at 282-4337, ext. 237.