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Ferguson Middle School Plants Learning Gardens
Story and Photos by Elaine Steinborn
Ferguson Middle School (FMS) dedicated its Learning Gardens amid a swarm of students and adult helpers who quickly constructed frames for raised beds of plants, hauled dirt by the wheelbarrow-load, and put together picnic tables or painted a sign Friday, May 6. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is partnering with FMS to provide the gardens in response to eighth grade science teacher Lalaine Pellman’s idea to apply for a Farm to School Grant to help students get hands-on experience with growing food.
A team of FMS staff formed a garden committee and planned for a 5-year project, but Holly James, garden committee chair, connected with individuals and organizations who decided to fully fund the entire 5-year plan this year. In addition, at the ceremony, USDA Secretary for Civil Rights Joe Leonard announced that the garden would be fully funded for the next 2 years by the Department of Agriculture.
The dedication ceremony was led by FMS principal Katy Chambers, who acknowledged the participation of many parties in bringing the garden into existence. Among those honored were Jillian Semaan, senior advisor for the Office of Assistant Secretary for USDA Civil Rights; Joe Leonard, USDA Secretary for Civil Rights; Bianca Oden, Deputy Chief of Staff for Secretary Vilsack; Marveena Miller of the Ferguson Farmer’s Market; Jodi Squires, associate regional director, University of Missouri Extension; Nate Brandt, horticulture specialist, University of Missouri Extension; Danielle Zamarripa, Ferguson Home Depot; Schroeder Farm; Joe Davis, superintendent of Ferguson-Florissant School District; Terry O’Neal, Ferguson-Florissant Director of Facilities; Eric Hadley, Ferguson-Florissant science coordinator and director of Little Creek Nature area; and Mark Cote, pastor of First Baptist Church Ferguson.
The garden’s layout includes an area for native plants, an outdoor classroom filled with picnic tables, a greenhouse, a pollinating station and a koi pond. The teen participants in Friday’s event provided much of the labor during the event under the guidance of adult volunteers.
“We plan to tie this garden into science lessons of course but it will also fit into lessons on math such as the measuring we’ve already needed—and social studies, as we see how food plays a part in the economy,” said principal Chambers. “We are looking forward to providing hands-on experiences for our students.”
Volunteer, former Ferguson-Florissant teacher and master gardener Sue Miller, who has volunteered in several other school-associated gardens, said, “Working in gardens helps to provide practical lessons for students and they learn more when they can connect what they’ve been taught in class with the real world.”
The Ferguson-Florissant District is a participant in the Farm to School program, in which food grown at various campuses of the district are used to educate children about where their food comes from and the importance of making good food choices. At McCluer South-Berkeley High School students have processed tomatoes from school garden areas for sale in cafeterias throughout the district. The plans for the FMS Learning Garden include raising some plants and crops for sale at the Ferguson Farmers Market, as well as harvesting crops for use in cafeterias in the district.
