The real reason for doing this

Today several after school kids from one of our Germantown schools came out to help Josh with planting.  They are part of a garden club that will be visiting every Thursday for the rest of the month to learn about farming.  This ain't about farming nearly as much as it is about teaching.  I admit that I am the most enthusiastic student (and the most invested) but these kids started the afternoon worried about getting dirty and ended the afternoon disappointed that they could not plant the next row of peppers because they ran out of time and had to head back.

Over the next 4 weeks they will get the chance to measure to growth of the vegetables they planted, witness first hand, the successes and difficulties that threaten the seedlings they planted, understand the process much more comprehensively and hopefully gain a desire to start their own gardens at home.  Hopefully one or two of those kids will sign up for camp at Mountainside and be around for the harvest.  I can promise one thing, the campers this summer are sure going to get the chance to pick a few tomatoes and peppers and melons and beans and, and, and.

The real test today was weather or not they had fun...and they did.

With my rudimentary knowledge, I was quizzing the kids about the need for the plastic sheeting, showed them how to water and how the irrigation system will work once it is completed next week, the problems the deer pose to the plants and the reason for the field being fenced in.  Josh even had this cool planters tool that he picked up today and I am going to borrow as I complete the flower plantings at my house.  Once I learn, I love to turn around and teach someone else.  I hope that anyone who comes out to plant and play will do the same thing.  My hope is that we can engage lots of children and adults in the process, and have great tasting vegetables and fruit to dine on this summer.

We should have most of the rows planted by early next week and keep our eye out for the grant on the high tunnel greenhouse from the USDA.