School Garden!

Enjoying a yummy meal!

Phil getting ready to enjoy the dinner.

       The rainy night didn't damper spirits at the Canton School Garden Volunteer Appreciation Dinner last Friday. Volunteers who helped maintain the school gardens this past season were invited for harvest dinner and celebration. The invitation included a 4PM garden work party, but this was canceled due to bad weather. By 5PM though, children were playing in the school hall and inside the cafeteria while adults mingled and caught up with one another. 

                    The main organizers – Blue Jay Fenlong (Cafeteria Manager), Cathy Carr (1-3 teacher), Sarah Bentley-Garfinkel (parent and SLCHI) and Carol Wright (H.S. Agriculture teacher) – pulled together a scrumptious meal and entertaining slide show. My own daughter, Naomi, is part of Cathy's class and they worked hard during the week preparing the vegetable soup. Naomi was so excited to be part of cooking the special dinner. Also for dinner was potato soup, homemade bread (with flour milled in Watertown), cider and apples. The tables were decorated with simple (yet pleasing) gourds and potatoes. It was wonderful to hear Carol's account of the past gardening year. Carol covered the work of Canton students, the use of locally grown food into the lunch menu and the optimism around the growth of the gardening program. A slide show highlighted potato digging, planting by first graders, construction of the new garden beds and high school students cooking in the cafeteria. Acknowledged for their support was the Pepsi Co., GardenShare and the St. Lawrence County Health Initiative. 

                  It is so easy to get depressed these days. TV and radio blare reports of environmental crisis, suicides by bullied teenagers, bombings, etc. Everyone deserves a night like the garden dinner. It was warming and reminded me about all the doors of possibilities. It was again a reminder of community, of raising our children with a sense of hope and responsibility, and celebrating of our achievements. I only see the Canton school gardening program and use of local food in the menu growing. That....is a wonderful thing. Thanks to all those who participated, supported, planted, weeded and planned.