Well it has been over a year in the planning and preparation, but we finally succeeded in creating a sustainable garden at Absegami High School. To say the garden is a success is an understatement; after careful design, planting, organizing, etc we have been able to harvest over 15 pounds of produce already this spring and are preparing to plant our summer crops as of the writing of this blog. This garden stemmed from the ideas and dedication of numerous staff members, especially Kerry Flukey, Chris Bell, and Don Matousch. Without their efforts, the space would still be a desolate courtyard not to be enjoyed by any students or staff members. But, instead, we have over 20 crops, a native plant garden, and seating areas for all members of the school community to use. The garden was fully funded through grants awarded from Atlanticare Healthy Schools and the Sustainable Jersey for schools programs. This project will continue to evolve based on student and teacher input and our hope is we will be cooking freshly grown produce in our culinary classes next year to be served to staff and students. I will continually update the blog as we move forward, so look for more news!! Our next big event is the LPGA visit on June 2nd. In addition to Kerry, Don, and Chris; a special thanks to Bre Baker, Katy Cardwell, Amanda Baldyga, Katie Taylor, and the many students who helped get this project off the ground!
At the start of the project in February 2016:
Now--May 2016:
