New City School 4th Graders garden for others

One blustery February afternoon New City School 4th graders and their teachers were introduced to an urban garden they were adopting as part of a curriculum on citizenship. The fruits of the children's farming efforts were to benefit two food pantries in the Central West End, one at Trinity Church and the other at Second Presbyterian Church. Involving the children in the gardening effort was the idea of indefatigable CWEA Board Member, Arthur Culbert (see photo below). The plot of land on Waterman had been farmed for the same purpose the year before by a group from Health Literacy Missouri on Euclid (see post here).

On their first day working the garden, the children were handed seeds for lettuces and spring peas. Despite the chilly conditions, mittens were foresaken so the seeds could be sown in neat rows. Each child was given a pumpkin seed to plant in a paper cup full of soil. The pumpkin seeds were carried back to the classroom to germinate on the windowsill. I overheard one student say that she couldn't wait to make a pumpkin pie! Another said, "I am so excited, this is like a dream come true."

Photo courtesy of Arthur Culbert

The photo above was taken much more recently. Arthur's gardening scheme also involves neighborhood businesses. Wolfgang's Pet Stop on Euclid donates pet hair from grooming sessions that is put into mesh bags and laid around the garden to repel rabbits. Accompanying the hair, Wolfgang's sends a picture of the donor, which garners lots of admiration from the children. New Market Hardware on Laclede at Sarah recently donated paint sticks for signs the students made for the food pantry. And a neighborhood volunteer, Emma Holtzman, waters the garden every morning.

Photo courtesy of Arthur Culbert

The 4th graders have proved to be enthusiastic farmers. One of the student's parents called Arthur on a  recent Saturday morning to ask if she could bring the sleepover group to work in the garden that day. Just yesterday the children worked for over an hour harvesting 16 pounds of collard greens, lettuce, spinach, and turnip greens for Trinity's Food Pantry. They carefully shook the dirt off the greens and put the produce into 20 bags, which was delivered to the church for yesterday's clients.

 

Photo courtesy of Arthur Culbert

Photo courtesy of Arthur Culbert

The photo above shows the produce on the table at Trinity's Food Pantry. Someday soon the 4th graders will take a field trip to meet the clients they serve.

 

 

Arthur Culbert also planted fruit trees around the perimeter of the garden, above. This whole effort from start to finish is the work of this one wonderful volunteer. He came up with the idea, arranged for the involvement of New City School, and purchased the vegetable seeds and fruit trees on his own. And the benefits of this effort will definitely leave an impression on these young lives and benefit those who are less fortunate.  Many thanks to Arthur for his amazing contribution.