Digging in at Valle Crucis

Valle Crucis school is the latest Watauga county school to enroll in the Lettuce Learn project which was started  by Courtney Baines Smith a teacher and doctoral candidate at ASU. Around the country there has been growing interest in finding alternative methods of teaching, inspiring, and energizing students by exposing them to hands on learning in an agricultural/ garden environment. It makes so much sense in this beautiful and rural county we live in where many farm children attend our schools and our farm history spans many generations. Science,  history,  literature,  mathematics,   and  art all have  great  connections  to  gardening.  Let's "dig'  into  it.

Presently the school has two incubator gardens and some great things are underway. I see peas, strawberries, lettuce, blueberries and much more eagerly springing up . I will be nurturing these  garden through the summer and fall and will  soon begin  turning a plot of soil out behind the school which gets lot's of sun and begin sowing vegetables and flowers of all kinds.  Teachers  can   you  spread  the    word  to  your  students?  While   school  is  drawing  to  a  close I  hope  that  maybe  some  students and/or parents   and  educators  might  like  to  be  involved. Remember that   fresh  tasty food is  a  great  motivator  and   fun  and  learning  are  a  given. No  obligation  is  necessary  and  I   know  the  school  year  has  been  long  and  everyone  needs  a  break  but  hope    y'all  will  stop    by   a   check  things  out.   

Till  the  close  of   school  I  will     be    at  the   school  most    mornings in   the  secret   garden and/or    out   back or  helping  out  in  the  Pre -K garden.  I  have  hundreds  of  plants  germinating  and    growing    for the  school  garden  and    hope  to start  planting    before  school  ends.  Fingers   crossed  that  when  school  resumes  in  August  the    bounty    will  be   coming  in.