A History

The Crops by Kids project began with the school Health Committee's revamping of the school's nutrition policy. It became clear that in order to teach the children about healthy food choices it was also necessary to give them a clear understanding from where whole, natural foods come. To that end, the school began a monthly "taste testing" program, whereby a healthy food is tasted both in its natural state in the classroom and then in a recipe in the lunchroom. The taste testing has been a great success and the students at Barre Town have tried everything from purple cabbage to an ancient whole grain called quinoa.

A children's garden was a natural offshoot of these efforts. In the Spring of 2005 a bunch of teachers, parents and students went out and built some raised beds. From there, little by little, a beautiful outdoor learning center has been set into motion across the street from the Barre Town School. A fence surrounds the beds and the entry boasts a wooden arbor on which climbing flowers grow. There is a tool shed, water bins and benches for resting. Many of these things were built by the older students. The Barre Town Fire Department comes along whenever there hasn't been enough rain to fill the water bins.

The garden project applied for and received funds from the National Gardening Association, Home Depot, Lowe's, and other organizations. We also have regular fundraisers selling seconds from the American Flatbread Company in Waitsfield. We hold an annual "Antiques Roadshow" each Spring, where an expert appraiser entertains and gives interesting information about the artifacts brought by participants. All the money we raise goes towards compost, seeds, mulch, garden gloves, classroom plant lights and other improvements.

What we're doing now

The school has started composting all the food refuse from the cafeteria and classroom snacks. In the first year, we diverted tens of tons of compost from landfill -- instead it goes to the Vermont Compost Company to be transformed into usable compost. That compost comes right back to the school and gets put into the garden! This way, the students see the entire plant cycle first hand, from their lunch trays all the way to a garden full of fruits and vegetables. They also learn about stewardship and responsibility for our environment.

We're proud of how our teachers have connected their classroom work with the garden, making it truly a teaching tool. They've used it to teach math, life science, and physical education, along with Vermont history and other subjects. Often times, the kids who plant a bed will harvest it in the fall when they come back to school. This gives them the joy of reaping what they sow and seeing the end result of what they did months before.

Summer Gardening

Many families and teachers participate in the critical summer maintenance. The importance of regular irrigation is stressed and each member of this core group assign themselves certain days or weeks. On these days, each gardener and their children agree to perform whatever watering, weeding, and bug patrol might be required on their dates. One of the benefits of summer work, along with fun and exercise, is taking home some of the plants that are already ready to harvest.

Fall Harvest and Celebration

The start of School in Fall is the most rewarding time to be in the children's garden. Teachers, kids and parents work together with scissors, cutting down the tomato vines, making piles of colorful gourds, stuffing paper bags with assorted herbs, and filling cardboard boxes with tomatoes. The green leaves are piled onto the garden compost bins or are eventually turned into the soil itself. The food is used to create pizza sauce, pumpkin bread and other recipes in the school, brought home by gardeners, or brought to the food bank.

Future Years

Crops by Kids garden always begins "growing" long before spring. We begin in the winter months by seeking funding sources, generating interest, and discussing improvements. A map is laid out and the beds are divvied up between the grades, so that everyone knows what they'll be planting in the classrooms and where it will go in the garden. We've built cold frames, which lengthen our growing season. Through our efforts and planning our next year will always be better - and we will all grow, along with our garden.

Thanks!

This overview can not be ended without extending sincere and heartfelt thanks to all those who have lent their hands in whatever way they were able; thanks to those who faced the daunting initial planning process, those who strained their backs in the building process, kids and grownups who work and sweat to ready the garden and plant it, those who faithfully tend the garden all summer long, those who come out to harvest and all those who witness and celebrate the bounty of Crops by Kids!

Crops by Kids hosted a Farmer's Market at Barre Town School for Kindergarten through Third Grade
Open House and it was a huge success

As students and families entered the school they were greeted by beautiful produce that students grew from seed and then harvested. Parents Linda Cleveland and Tina Glosser, with the help of several students, created the display and sold over $200.00 worth of produce that will go towards next years’ garden. It really was a grand celebration. Left over vegetables were taken to our kitchen and Chef Kevin Otis, from the Abbey group made and served food that came from our very own garden.

Over the summer teachers, parents, and grandparents worked with children in the garden. Several times vegetables were taken to the Vermont Food Shelf. The Barre Town School Summer Library, headed by Librarian Heather Kralik, made several trips to the garden with students and families. The children enjoyed going to garden and look forward to taste testing each fall. If you would like to get involved in our Crops By Kids garden please contact Ellen Sulek, Phyllis Wiggins or Susan Barnard. It really takes a community to grow this wonderful garden that benefits so many. The garden will be put to bed with the help of Norwich University physical education majors and students in grades Kindergarten, 1 and 2.

We are proud to have such a great project in our school. Please consider helping us next spring, or just stop in and take a peek at what is going on across the street.

>> Click on each thumbnail below to see a larger photo. <<

Linda Cleveland, Tina Glosser & Gavin Glosser await the throngs of happy produce shoppers.	The produce that was grown from seed and harvested by students was just beautiful.	Sunflowers + Corn + Squash + Carrots + Beets = Delicious	Lovely fall colors and good nutrition.
Home grown Pumpkins, Squash and Sunflowers	Pumpkins and Squash grown by Crops by Kids	Assorted Squash grown by Barre Town School Students	Lovely harvest. Wonderful evening.

2009 Tunbridge Fair

Barre Town School was very proud to be part of the Tunbridge Fair again in 2009! Many students, teachers and volunteers worked very hard throughout the year, but their hard work paid off. BTMES earned 3 first place ribbons and 1 second place ribbon in the children's division of the vegetable competition. Our first place winners were: Butternut Squash, a small pumpkin (less than 8" in diameter) and a large pumpkin (more than 8" in diameter). I'm sure the roundness of our pumpkins, the color, and the great stems gave us the first place honors. Our Butternut Squash was perfectly shaped and light brown in color. The Sweet Potato received a second place ribbon. Last year we won the "best in show" for the Sweet Potato. We know the trick for next year which is to plant them earlier in the winter and allow them to grow by our windows. We have a great book that the children read about how to start a sweet potato inside.

Many students, teachers and volunteers made these awards possible. Children start the vegetables from a seed in the classroom. They use grow lights, they keep the plants watered and then they move the young plants to the "cold frame". When plants are big enough, and the weather permits, they transplant the plants into the garden which is located across the street from Barre Town School. Volunteers water the plants all summer and then the children harvest their crop. Children in grades K, 1, and 2 gathered the vegetables from the garden. Lots of people helped in the process and we are very proud of their great work and of these special awards for our school. A very big thank you to all the teachers, parents, grandparents and para-educators who were involved. Many of our students enjoyed going to the Tunbridge Fair, to see what BTMES won, with their families.

We will be doing this worthwhile project again this year. If you would like to help our children with any of these steps, please contact BTMES. Thanks so much!

August 2008 Garden update

Last spring, before school got out, two Kindergarten classes planted a row of pole beans for the VT Foodbank. On Friday, August 15th 2008, several of those children, their families and their teachers gathered to harvest some of the vegetables. Everyone took home a colorful sample of green, yellow and purple beans, as well as a few yellow cherry tomatoes, to try. The rest of the produce was delivered to the Barre Salvation Army. Patty, the cook at the Salvation Army kitchen, was so happy to get our fresh vegetables. You can certainly tell by the look on her face.

Faculty and parents put the garden to bed. Our Crops By Kids garden was put to bed by students as well as one day after school the some faculty members stayed and worked on getting it ready for the winter.