A small group of students outside the Dolores Elementary School stared intently at dirt recently as they learned the intricacies of planting carrots and potatoes.
The lesson took place outside, right in front of the school in student-built garden beds, a new addition to the school as part of the new School to Farm program.
Megan Tallmadge explained to the students how to cut up old potatoes and plant them in the soil and how to get more potatoes from their crop.
You just keep covering them up with straw and they will create more potatoes, Tallmadge said. Thats how we maximize our potato growth.
Mariah Lopez, 10, was thrilled to get her hands dirty.
Its fun, she said.
Students who took part in the Wild Sprouts Summer camp helped get the gardens started by filling beds with soil.
The gardening will continue when students return Aug. 24.
Tallmadge said that when students return in the fall, they will have more planting beds and plant fall crops such as lettuce, herbs, garlic, broccoli and leeks.
She also said students will add a weather station near the gardens.
The gardens will be located just south of the schools entrance. Principal Sheri Maxwell hopes the gardens will beautify the school and keep them front and center in everyones mind.
Our goal is to teach the importance of sustainability to children not only in conservation in water and soil, but also farming, Tallmadge said.
The goal is to get food from the garden into the school cafeteria, Tallmadge said.
She hopes to start with lettuce.
In addition, the School to Farm program takes students to local farms where they learn about local farming practices and often get to sample locally grown food.
It brings back the desire and importance of farming in the kids eyes and shows them it is a viable and productive way of life, Tallmadge said.
She said she loves how the kids seem to enjoy the program.
The excitement of kids eating a fresh salad ... it was so wonderful. They were excited and just gobbled them up, she said.
In addition, Tallmadge said she will work with teachers on how to incorporate the garden into their lessons, whether it be science, math or social studies.