School Garden Network Workshop at Irving Park Elementary

On a warm blue sky afternoon last Thursday teachers and parent volunteers, and other community members gathered at Irving Park Elementary for hands-on training by some of our best school garden experts in

Guilford and Rockingham Counties.

Our first presenter, Sarah Crawford, trained as a Master Gardener and has many years of experience training teachers and teaching students. She demonstrated her knowledge of planting, fertilizing, watering, and composting for workshop attendees. Next, attendees took a turn doing these activities themselves. Sarah is currently the garden director at the Cald Cleugh Multicultural Center.

Next, Jenny Kimmel, gardening director at Greensboro Montessori demonstrated the developmentally appropriate garden activities for children from kindergarten through middle school. She also shared specialty garden ideas and Vermiculture bins that are both portable and inexpensive ways to teach about recycle.

Deborah Crumpton was our final presenter of the day. Deborah is a farmer and an educator. She grows herbs at her Running Pine Herb Farm. She taught school for 16 years and is the School Garden Coordinator for Rockingham County Extension. Deborah shared her vast knowledge of growing and using herbs with attendees. She brought lots of perennial and annual herbs for attendees and described how to plant and these plants that are so popular in school gardens.

This was the first day of our two day workshop hosted by Irving Park Elementary. Next Thursday another group of presenters experienced in teaching in school gardens will demonstrate lesson plans teaching school curriculum

 and tastings from the garden.

If your school is interested in hosting a School Garden Workshop in the spring, please contact Cynthia Nielsen, School Garden Network Coordinator at nielsen.cynthial@gmail.com