Lake Seneca Elementary School

The goal of Lake Seneca Elementary School Garden Club is to continue to build on the two in-ground edible gardens already inside it's courtyard and in the coming year to become not only a popular after-school club but an integral part of the school community, integrating the garden into the students' daily school curriculum. In the last two years this garden has brought together a diverse group of students and helpers. Our helpers include war veterans, a female combat veteran recovering from deployment to both Iraq and Afghanistan, mothers and grandmothers, breast cancer survivors, middle school students seeking student service hours, and a variety of families struggling with financial and other challenges. The garden is a focal point of healthy, healing, educational activities for the entire school community. Our goal is to continue to build this garden so that it produces an abundant harvest of vegetables and fruits for the students to enjoy during club meetings, to share with the larger school community, and hopefully one day to donate to local families in need. This grant would make it possible to install a shed to store tools, to build raised beds to add to the two in-ground beds, purchase soil amendments, and to add row covers and a hoop house to extend the growing season.