On a sunny July morning, Food Connects’ Donnie and Elyse joined Katrina Moore, the Farm to School Garden Coordinator at Oak Grove School, to prepare raised beds for the upcoming academic year. The raised beds were recently built by Snow & Sons Landscaping thanks to Oak Grove’s Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) Farm to School and Early Childhood Capacity Building Grant.

Before their arrival, Katrina had been hard at work. She had filled the bottom of the beds with river rock for drainage, topsoil, and ‘Brattlegrow’ compost donated generously by Windham Solid Waste District, made from local food scraps. These compost bags, usually priced at $8 each, provide essential nutrients for the plants. During the school year, students will continue to feed the soil by making compost from collected food scraps. 

While they worked, Katrina explained her choice of plants, selecting resilient varieties like Amaranth, which is known for its heat tolerance. Given Vermont's changing climate due to global warming, Katrina emphasized the importance of learning from the agricultural practices of warmer regions. The Amaranth and other plants will feature in craft activities for students during the school year including making clothing-dyes from plants. Additionally, Katrina transplanted a bottle gourd plant from her home garden, envisioning future projects where students could use mature gourds as vessels or birdhouses.

As they constructed a trellis for the gourd to climb, Katrina noted her anticipation in working with Oak Grove students. Inspired by ethnobotanist Feather Smith, Katrina plans to introduce students to indigenous seed practices such as saving and preserving heirloom seed species. To illustrate, Katrina displayed and planted heirloom Seneca sunflower and Walpole Island corn seeds donated from Gedakina, a Native American publishing and cultural group based in Maine with satellite groups across the Northeast, including Brattleboro. 

Katrina's enthusiasm and dedication make her an excellent addition to the Oak Grove community, and Donnie and Elyse can’t wait for their next opportunity to lend her a hand in what she does next!