|
Raymond Cree Middle School |
|
Rather than build a new school garden from scratch, SFDC jumped into the Raymond Cree Middle School garden to help in the battle against ground squirrels. The RCMS garden was started in 2009 by Beth Ann Thornhill, Exploratory Arts/Yearbook Advisor. She started the garden with help from volunteers showing how to build Earth Boxes. During the first year they planted corn, zucchini, yellow neck squash, cucumbers and 3 different kinds of tomato plants. Unfortunately the ground squirrels that inhabit the RCMS campus thought it was for them and helped themselves to most of the crop. Beth Ann’s class did manage to harvest tomatoes and make a lot of bruschetta to eat in the classroom! The children loved it!
The second year was jumpstarted when RCMS received grants from the Palm Springs Sustainability Office and Western Growers Foundation. Thanks to Stewart Cross of the Palm Springs Rotary Club and Jeff Thornhill, Beth Ann’s husband, the garden was relocated to an unused space in the south end of campus, and a fence and ten raised beds were built. Bonnie Plants has been good to garden both years by supplying seeds and seedlings. But again the ground squirrels ate all of the plants. Their days were numbered, however, with a plan devised by Beth Ann and Jeff. They would build cages over the raised beds to keep the squirrels out! "Adopt-A-Cage" was born. Slow Food Desert Cities funded the final four cages so that now all 10 beds are adopted and covered. So far so good and the produce is growing like crazy!
While SFDC was getting to understand the RCMS garden, Beth Ann was asked what else could be provided. Without hesitation, she said an automatic irrigation system would be very helpful. The class had been watering either by hand or with the lawn’s sprinklers. In partnership with Hidden Harvest, SFDC provided the funds and design to install a new irrigation system.
One of the programs that Beth Ann is promoting is having local chefs come into the classroom and showing what we can be made from the fruits and vegetables grown in the garden. The class is looking forward to the year that they can grow enough to sell at the local Certified Farmers Market!
Beth Ann invites you to take a tour of the garden or help financially. Contact Beth Ann Thornhill at Bthornhill@psusd.us or call 760.409.8685.
|
|
Salvador Vega, Landscaper --Beth Ann and Jeff Thornhill
|
|
|
|
| Slow Food Desert Cities
|
|
