The Pennfield School

The Pennfield school currently has eight 4' X 10' raised beds (made with cedar) that are in desperate need of replacement. We grow a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, and almost everything by seed as part of our science/sustainability program. We would put this grant money to great use by replacing the existing beds, adding new soil, composted manure, and compost to the beds and if possible, a drip irrigation system. This year we experimented with straw bale gardening in three of the beds which was a terrific success. We would love to try this again. Also, we are embarking on a pilot program with our county's Department of Child and Family Services, whereby they are willing to share some grant money allocated to them in exchange for having their middle-school aged group-home children come to our campus for Sustainability education, which includes learning the joys of gardening, food preparation, and connecting with nature through outdoor endeavors.