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Old October 27, 2015   #5
nancyruhl
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
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Sounds like the school has the money to build a state of the art greenhouse with no real plan for educating with it. Until last year, I volunteered with the agricultural program offered through the vocational program for the Detroit Public Schools. They had anything but state of the art, but they did have a teacher and aide and students bussed to the greenhouse. The school system , however, did not give them the funds to buy anything to grow anything. We, volunteers helped them to grow what they could sell to raise money for the program to buy these things. Heirloom tomatoes were a big part of that sale. We also sold other vegetables, annuals and perennials, but the big draw was the tomatoes. I would make an illustrated list that was put on their website, and folks would come knowing exactly what they wanted and knowing they couldn't really find these plants anywhere else. The students helped with all aspects of the sale and were so proud of their results. That made me happy. The patrons were excited, too. Unfortunately, the program doesn't exist any longer.

The school needs to provide a curriculum and a teacher, so the students can complete an educational program they can use. You can support them with your experience, skills, seeds, plants, etc. You can show them your love of gardening, and the pride and concrete results of growing things. You can interact with the students. Maybe you can ever have a small space for starting you own plants (ulterior motive). But the school really needs to step up to the plate to make it worthwhile for the students.
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