Community garden used as teaching tool at preschools
On May 27, board members from the San Benito Farm Bureau and the
Early Childhood Education Center commemorated their partnership on
a community garden for the children who attended classes at the
R.O. Hardin site. The site includes Head Start preschool, a state
preschool and special education classes.
The rain kept the guests inside as Joyce Swett, the school
readiness teacher for First 5 San Benito, talked about the garden.
She showed pictures of the preschool students planting the many
starters and seeds into the concrete garden beds as well as a mural
of flowers the children made.
Community garden used as teaching tool at preschools
On May 27, board members from the San Benito Farm Bureau and the Early Childhood Education Center commemorated their partnership on a community garden for the children who attended classes at the R.O. Hardin site. The site includes Head Start preschool, a state preschool and special education classes.
The rain kept the guests inside as Joyce Swett, the school readiness teacher for First 5 San Benito, talked about the garden. She showed pictures of the preschool students planting the many starters and seeds into the concrete garden beds as well as a mural of flowers the children made.
“This is kind of a test site for future gardens,” Joyce Swett said. “It is very different from what others use. They use boxes, wood. And that breaks down.”
Greg Swett, the president of the San Benito County Farm Bureau, came up with the concept for the garden, which uses interlocking pavers as the base, with sections for grass to grow up through the pavers and for water to seep down. Above that are two garden beds made of concrete. Each bed has a sprinkler system as well as a connection for irrigation lines, if that needs to be installed.
“This is clearly for the children and to help the teachers meet objectives,” he said.
He said he first saw a similar garden in Arizona at his nephew’s preschool. More than 20 years later, the garden beds are still functional and have not required a lot of maintenance.
“The objective is to allow teachers to teach and the irrigation system Benito County Farm Bureau, came up with the concept for the garden, which uses interlocking pavers as the base, with sections for grass to grow up through the pavers and for water to seep down. Above that are two garden beds made of concrete. Each bed has a sprinkler system as well as a connection for irrigation lines, if that needs to be installed.
“This is clearly for the children and to help the teachers meet objectives,” he said.
He said he first saw a similar garden in Arizona at his nephew’s preschool. More than 20 years later, the garden beds are still functional and have not required a lot of maintenance.
“The objective is to allow teachers to teach and the irrigation system to irrigate,” Greg Swett said, adding that no one would want small children trying to handle a garden hose.
“The whole idea is we didn’t want to give something that would be a problem in the long term,” Joyce Swett said.
Greg Swett partnered with Juan Munoz construction to help install the pavers and create the garden beds.
The materials for the garden and the cost of installing the beds and watering system were paid for by grants. Joyce Swett received one from the California Department of Education, and the Farm Bureau staff received one to promote agriculture in the classroom programs.
Many of the starter plants and seeds were donated by Nants Foley, of San Benito Bounty, and Jim Wilkinson.
The teachers allowed the students to put the plants in using gardening tools such as trowels. Joyce Swett said the kids put in plenty of marigolds, which Foley told them help keep bugs away from the plants.
“The kids put lots of them in because they said, ‘These will keep the bugs away,'” Joyce Swett said. “It was a little tight, but we decided we wouldn’t touch them.”
Other plants include celery, lettuce, carrots, onions, cabbage and more.
“We also put in pots of herbs,” said Dottie Yates, one of the teachers. “Some of the kids had never planted anything before and didn’t know what a garden was.”
Joyce Swett added that though some of the children have parents who work in agriculture, they were not exposed to gardens.
“They go out every day and touch the plants,” she said.
Greg Swett added that the Farm Bureau is hoping the garden will foster relationships between schools and some of the agricultural producers in the county.
“It is a chance to teach students about food,” he said. “They may appreciate a little more. From an industry standpoint, we need people.”
Jeanette Wright teaches one of the morning preschool classes and said the garden might prompt the kids to consider careers in agriculture or science down the road.
“There is so much they have gotten out of it,” she said. “It is their achievement. They have a sense of accomplishment – they themselves did this.”
She said the garden involves all the senses.
“It is about smelling and toughing, about literature and language and colors,” she said. “They understand the concept of soil, water and sunlight. They understand photosynthesis on a basic level.”
Greg Swett added that he will be taking input on what works in the garden and what doesn’t with the goal that similar gardens can go in at different school sites.
For the summer, Joyce Swett said the staff is looking to identify a family that will maintain the garden, harvest some of the produce for themselves and donate any excess produce to the Community Food Bank.
