You are a an integral part of not only the communities of Southwest Florida, but communities around the world. Though soils may be different, minds are no less passionate.
Enjoy this debut edition of the ECHO Community Gardens newsletter - sharing stories and garden ideas from unique agriculture projects of which you are a part.
POSTMARKED: Florida, USA
Bonita Springs Elementary School, Bonita Springs, Florida
‘Going to school’ for Mr. Dave Diederich’s third graders means digging in soil, taste-testing blueberries, and burying pumpkins—not just homework, books, and recess. The classroom? One that has been created with their very own hands. ‘Wait a minute!’ You’re thinking, ‘They built their classroom by themselves?’ Yes; with shovels, wood, rakes, recycled tires, soil, and paint—It’s their living edible garden classroom, and it is right outside the classroom the school has provided.
Let me introduce you to the students of Mr. Dave Diederich at Bonita Springs Elementary School. Hardworking, eager and diligent, these third grade students have grown and nurtured a variety of plants under the green thumb of their teacher. Some of these include katuk, a delicious addition to a salad with a light green pea taste, and a tree which produces star-shaped fruits known as carambolas. Over the past six years this garden project has been the canvas for a variety of different classroom projects—most recently the ‘edible plants’ project.
Not only are the students involved in planting the crops, they are young passionate researchers as well—determining what each plant needs and when it can be planted. Two raised beds are the focal point of the garden and the site of many teachable moments for Mr. Diederich. His favorite lesson to teach in the garden? It involves a pumpkin, paper, a plastic bag, and food scraps from each nutritional food group.
What’s up next? A vegetable project, coming this spring. Mr. Diederich’s students never miss a season. Broccoli, cauliflower, beans, lettuce, tomatoes, among many others are just a sampling of the snacks they are looking forward to this spring—some of which students have never tasted before.
Another unique element of this garden project is that it involves the whole school community. As it has grown in popularity, a pond and additional plants have been added to the school courtyard landscape. Pre-Kindergarten students feed the fish in the pond and the fifth graders monitor the pond water levels while providing general maintenance around the area. Mr. Diederich looks forward to the addition of more edible plants throughout the courtyard, making an ‘experience’ out of a walk through the area.
Wisdom from a green thumb: Mr. Diederich’s hard work does not go unnoticed by his students nor the school administration. Here is a tidbit of encouragement and wisdom from his experience with school garden projects:
‘Share the responsibility and the wealth that comes from this. Involve as much of your school community (students, staff, parents) as you can…The more hands the better!’
Amidst allspice, broccoli, tropical pumpkins, and carambola, the young researchers and gardeners of Bonita Springs Elementary School are learning life lessons and experiencing the natural world around them in an interactive and intriguing environment.
Postmarked: Mozambique, Africa
Village of Manjacaze, Manjacaze, Mozambique
As the sun rises, another early morning of planting begins in a small rural town known as Manjacaze, Mozambique. Several women from this small community migrate to their gardens—small plots of land dotted with moringa and papaya trees, onions and peanuts. As they come, they bring strong hands, initiative, warm smiles, and plastic containers filled with water to feed the raised beds of crops in the areas around them. This is their hope, and the hope of those they care for in their community.
Manjacaze, Mozambique is a rural town of approximately 20,000 people. Fairly isolated, the community in this city often faces the challenges of obtaining a consistent supply of nutritious foods. Fields may be filled with maize—a variety of corn, yet they do not display much other plant variety. Many friends and family members of the women just mentioned are struggling to receive the nourishment they need to fight the symptoms of HIV on a daily basis. At such a time as this, the men and women of a local church in this community have come together. Their focus: to teach the community about the nutrition in plants and to help the community grow nutritious food to supplement the diets of the sick orphans and widows in their community
Through an organization known as Mozaic Upliftment Trust, Manjacaze has been transformed by its people—hardworking, innovative, and strong. The land has been worked into several raised beds, an area approximately 24 feet by 24 feet, from which a variety of perennial and annual vegetables are flourishing. Each garden area is the responsibility of one family; watering resources are shared, but families are generally able to access a well or borehole
What’s growing there now? Moringa, papaya, beans, carrots, pumpkin, chaya, and garlic chives shine during the hot and dry seasons from September to December. When the long-awaited rains come, tomatoes, cabbage, pumpkins, and beans begin to push through the soil as if to say ‘I’ve made it, here I come!’
Much like the student community at Bonita Springs Elementary School, these garden projects in Mozambique involve and affect entire communities. What you would not realize initially is that many of the smiling faces you see t ending to the crops in these gardens are very ill. While they suffer from the effects of HIV on the inside, their gardens radiate hope to their bodies on the outside, penetrating their inner souls.
* MOZAIC Upliftment Trust (in South Africa) or Associação Mozaic (in Mozambique) is a network of churches in SA that assists and equips churches and leaders in Mozambique to bring change in their communities.
Inspired by these stories?
Check out the ECHO Community Garden Assistance Program!
Garden Connections: Resources & Thoughts
Brrrr! Chilly Plant Tips
Helpful tips for protecting your plants during the cold season
'Where has the warm weather gone?' you say. Listen closely as your tropical annuals and perennials may be crying out for a blanket! With fluctuations in temperatures, it is a good idea to research the cold tolerance level of your plants. Here are a few freeze protection ideas for a little extra warmth until February 15th when the risk of frosts and freezes begins to decrease:
- Pile soil higher than normal to provide an insulating layer on the stem of plants.
- Cover plants with buckets or sheets if freezing temperatures are expected overnight.
- Be in tune with weather predictions a head of time.
Classroom Focus: Concerned about Hunger?
Elementary and middle school curriculums from Heifer International teach about world hunger and poverty with the goal of helping students take the step from knowledge and concern to action. Free downloadable lesson plans are an available resource at http://www.heifer.org/ (Get Involved→Schools).
Lessons Learned
A classroom activity from Mr. Dave Diederich, Bonita Springs Elementary School
Every fall, Mr. Diederich purchases a large hollowed out pumpkin for his students; this year they chose to name the pumpkin, “Chubby Pumpkin.” In an exploration of the nature of compost and the decomposition of organic matter, Mr. Diederich requests that each student bring in an item from one of each nutritional food group and the food is placed inside the pumpkin. A hole is dug in the ground and a small pole to mark the depth is added. Then a newspaper, with the current date, and the pumpkin are placed in the hole as the students return the soil to its original location. After burying the pumpkin, predictions are made by the students, ‘What will happen to the pumpkin in a few months?’ After winter break, the students dig up the pumpkin and are intrigued as only the newspaper and their predictions are left!
