Students in the Skills Center at Henniker Community School have been hard at work getting a vegetable garden planted on school grounds. First, they needed approval for the garden and then they got busy planting seedlings in their classroom this spring.
During the first week of June, the students were able to plant their seedlings outside in the garden space just off the back staircase of the school. This ambitious group of students and teachers planted their zucchini, onions, cucumbers, peas, beans, cherry tomatoes, early tomatoes, bell peppers, and jalapenos and a variety of herbs including thyme, basil, oregano, rosemary, dill, cilantro, basil, green onions, mint, and parsley.
What will they do with their bounty? “We hope to have students run a farmer’s market-style project in late summer and they have big plans for the proceeds,” said Skills Center teacher Melissa Kontos. “The students would like to have a classroom pet, so it is likely any proceeds we’ll use for a pet and pet supplies,” she continued. At the moment, a rabbit is the favored pet choice for the fall.
Many thanks go out to Jim and Tina from Nash Garden Accents of Henniker for generously donating the soil for the student’s garden.