Middle Schoolers Get Dirty With New Garden

LA QUINTA – Students at Colonel Mitchell Paige Middle School are “going green.” Thursday,they began work on their school garden.

This is one assignment students at Colonel Mitchell Paige want to do: their very own garden.

“I was really excited because this is the first time i’ve actually been gardening,” said sixth grade student Grabriella Gilbert.

The garden measures about a quarter of an acre. It’s located in back of the school. John Robey fromRDO Equipment helped till the soilas students plucked the leftover grass and debris. They’re members of the newly formed “Garden Club.” They designed the garden’s layout, and even suggested what they want to plant.

The Western Growers Association gave the school a $1500 grant to start this garden. Patti Patane,who came up with the green project, says kids will be happier and healthier.

“Their grades increase, their attendance increases because they’re not as sick as much,” said Patane. “Disciplinarian problems go down. It all depends on their diet.”

According to the garden club’s teacher-moderator, students will realize that food doesn’t come from grocery stores or from vending machines.

“Once they get involved in it, they really start liking a lot of the foods they never would have tasted before because they’re connected to it,” said Janet Jonasson.

It will be another four to six weeks until the students will be able to plant the seeds. After the ground is tilled, and compost will be brought in to fertilize the soil. These kids promise to keep a close eye on their project.

“We’re going to make a schedule and everyday someone’s going to come and take care of it,” said garden club member Gavin Ferguson.

The school plans to sell the crops in fundraisers, perhaps even get to taste their prized possessions. Eventually their project will transform into a modern-day farm that could turn old macdonald green with envy.