Plump, green tomatoes; orange, red and very spicy peppers; yellow zucchini and lots of potatoes, beets, radishes and herbs have been growing at White Oak Community Center since mid-March.
That is when members of Montgomery County Master Gardeners began preparing a 1,000-square-foot rectangular plot with its six raised beds, just as they have every year since 2015. Students who came to the community center after school helped with the spring planting.
Now, during a six-week summer camp program, nine and 10 year-old boys and girls are weeding and harvesting. They take home and eat the vegetables of their labor. “They are eating the rainbow,” declared Sue Kuklewicz, master gardener and youth garden coordinator.
For nine-year-old Sebastien Daphins that means being able to add spicy peppers to his Ramen noodles.
Any food left over is taken to a pantry. This garden will yield between 300 to 500 pounds a year, according to Kuklewicz.
For two hours each Tuesday, the campers spend time in the garden. They also learn about soil, conservation and nutrition in a classroom-like setting. On July 26, they found out about soil layers and worms, which Stella Whitney, 9, called “slimy.”
They even get appropriate treats like yogurt parfait designed to look like layers of soil and topped off with a gummy worm.
“The kids get very excited about the garden,” Kuklewicz said. She would love to have similar programs throughout the county.
