In this day and age, when food insecurity is a real issue, it’s pretty cool to see that Bangor Schools are not only able to grow food in their own gardens, but that they’re using that food in meals for their students.
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
What a way to give kids a hands-on lesson in where their food comes from and self-sustainability.
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
This past fall, for instance, the James F. Doughty School on 5th Street put together a garden and offered students the opportunity to join the Garden Club.
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
With time, patience, and tender, loving care, the students managed to grow quite a bounty of crops this year and share them with the school during lunches.
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
They highlighted the accomplishment on the Bangor School Department Facebook Page this week.
“Thanks to a hard-working Garden Club crew, we were able to harvest and share over fifty pounds of food with our school during our lunch service this fall.
This year, our largest crops were potatoes, carrots, kale, garlic, basil, and tomatoes.”
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Ray Phinney, Director of Communication for the Bangor School Department, said this is only the second year the garden at JFDS has been in operation.
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
“The garden at JFDS was started 2 years ago with help from C&L Aviation. Lori Patterson, JFDS librarian and head gardener, started a garden club along with other interested staff.”
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
“Their garden did amazingly well this summer due to some forward thinking on irrigation systems and setting up volunteers to check on the garden.”
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
“The gardens at our schools are community-supported projects that enhance learning opportunities for our students. The gardens give students hands-on resources to learn about where their food comes from, agricultural practices, the importance of patience and care of plants, pollinators, and then recipes and discovering new tastes when it is time to harvest.”
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Phinney says the Doughty School is not the only school garden within the city limits.
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Other schools with gardens include the Abe Lincoln School, the Downeast and Fairmount Schools, the Fruit Street School, and the Mary Snow School.
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor High will be getting its own garden soon.
“Bangor High just installed some new raised beds and did some planting yesterday. The courtyard garden is being revitalized after years of construction projects (roofing, HVAC, and curtain wall replacement) prohibited planting and maintaining the space.”
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
Bangor School Gardens, Bangor School Department via Facebook
According to the Maine School Garden Network, there are over 250 school gardens across the state doing the same thing, with 23 of those located right in Penobscot County.
“The mission of the Maine School Garden Network is to promote and support educational gardens for youth, and to encourage school programs which teach healthy eating and environmental stewardship. Our Vision: All school gardens in Maine connected to the resources and support they need to thrive.”
If your school is interested in starting a garden of its own, the Maine School Garden Network, based out of Augusta, has a host of resources available to help you start, from how to finance, plant, and maintain your garden, to how to teach gardening to kids, and how to cook the food grown on site to share.
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