Kids learn to grow tasty garden treats

The La Conner School Garden now provides more than 30 elementary age kids with an after school Gardening and Cooking Enrichment Class.

They spend one afternoon a week of planting, pulling weeds, harvesting and then prepare wholesome food for themselves.

Left unattended eight years ago, the overgrown school garden was resurrected by a group of motivated volunteers supported by the La Conner Elementary School PTSA, the La Conner School District, Insight Tree Care, Ace Hardware Anacortes, Christiansen’s Nursery, Charlie’s Greenhouse, Watered Roots Design, The Nell Thorn Waterfront Bistro and Bar, Mt. Vernon Builder’s Supply, as well as donations from the community and of course, the kids.

This season shows a crop of carrots, pumpkins, squash, berries, herbs, radishes, peas, lettuce, kale and spinach.

After school one day last week 13 kids, one of the two enrichment classes, barely restraining themselves from running across the parking lot, took up seats around the newly planked picnic tables.

They settled into the day’s lesson – Planning a Garden, using a bird’s eye view template.

Garden Coordinator and parent volunteer Rachael Sobczak, with the assistance of Geraldine Gross and Arin Magill taught the day’s lesson on garden planning – what to plant, where to plant it, and how much.

Previous lessons have included; the science of germination, the importance of observation, the biological needs of plants and garden etiquette – how to handle and use tools such as hoes, rakes and trowels, and treating the beds with respect, which means no trampling, and no harvesting without permission.

After harvesting some radishes, the class trooped into the kitchen, run by chef-culinary arts teacher and poet extraordinaire Georgia Johnson. She has been teaching culinary arts in the high school since 2002. This day’s lesson was making spinach dip – the recipe is below.

Then the kids went back into the warm sunshine to enjoy the fruits of their labor, fresh spinach dip with vegetables and chips.

“We want to provide the children of this school district an opportunity to get hands-on experience with how to grow and prepare good food. This program is intended to foster a sense of stewardship of the land and community, empowerment to make healthy nutritional choices, outdoor physical activity, creative wonder and play,” said garden coordinator Sobczak.

Anyone wanting to support the La Conner School Garden can donate money, goods or services or volunteer some time.

Come see the garden in person during the Open House this Friday, June 9 from 2:30 to 6 p.m. Sobczak can be reached at [email protected]

Fresh Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ tsp white pepper

¼ tsp dried dill

1 garlic clove, peeled and minced

2 cups packed, fresh spinach

Sautee spinach with a bit of water. Chill and squeeze out excess water. Mix with other ingredients. Chill. Serve with fresh, crisp vegetables and chips.