Harvest Middle School

Harvest Middle School opened in 2004 with one fenced in area designated for gardening.  Soon after we have wrote a grant for materials to create raised garden beds, and enlisted a former student from the high school to help build the boxes.  The garden and several surrounding areas on campus were maintained by a small group of students and two teachers during a 30 minute time slot for several years.  Then the class became an enrichment or elective option and things began to blossom.  When the class became a full block period class, students planted every available space on campus.   We ran a small farmers market, which we called Harvest Market, right on our campus, which taught not only gardening and harvesting but all aspects of sales as well.  The following year we planted in fewer locations and sold produce primarily to our staff and some parents.  Then came the chickens!  What a fun addition to our garden program.  With some help from an after school program teacher and students, the coop was built and a fence between the gardens and the chicken pen put in.  Students then took the top two feet of our four foot high boxes and moved them to an area we reclaimed between a classroom and a portable. 

This class has definitely morphed over the years.  In 2013-14, not only do students garden and learn about plants, planting, watering and weeding they also harvest carefully keeping in mind that we have paying customers including chefs!  During the winter months we keep the chickens happy and healthy, collect eggs and maintain a small winter garden.  Students also learn about another part of the plant, by creating something out of a piece of pine with simple woodworking tools. 

Students in this class are able to try a number of different things and leave with a better appreciation of where their food comes from as well as learning some useful skills.

We are looking forward to how this program will continue to change and grow as we become an IB school.