“If you want a child’s mind to grow, you must first plant a seed.”
The following was written by our St. Mark Office Administrator, Vicki Labensky.
This year, members of the Thurston County Food Bank School Gardens AmeriCorps asked the fifth graders at Mountain View Elementary School to reflect on their visits to our St. Mark Community Garden over the years. Below are just a handful of their responses:
I think the garden is relaxing and when I’m there I feel like I’m a pinecone, the seeds are my worries and I open up and let the seeds go.
I feel like the planting and weeding, along with sharing our memories helped me feel connected [to my classmates].
A memory I have from the garden is planting and being congratulated. It made me really happy.
The St. Mark community has been a big part of my childhood and it’s always something to look forward to. I liked planting things then coming back the next year to see what I’ve created. My favorite thing to plant was pumpkins.
I remember eating strawberries and chives with my best friends and [helping plant a community garden] means really special to me because I love helping other people with plants because it reminds me of my grandma.
I love how in the garden you feel welcome because of how inviting everyone is.
What I like about it is that you can have a snack after growing corn etc. and the garden tour.
I feel calm with all the plants and fruit, and the vegetables. I like that the people that work there are very nice.
In addition to these, there were many mentions of their favorite part being the snack, of wanting more time to pull out weeds, being excited to help their community members, and just generally loving the field trips.
From April 18 through June 7, 2024 over 22 field trips were conducted. All grades and all classes (600 kids) had an hour-long field trip; they planted crops, had a tour of the garden, and ate a snack. They were truly good helpers (rarely was a plant broken!), and they planted all the potatoes, pumpkins, cabbage, broccoli, and beans. St. Mark Members Louise Suko, Juliana Alspaugh, Beth Bowden, and Gail Frare along with a few community gardeners, a Thurston County Food Bank employee, and two AmeriCorps volunteers assisted with the tours. Jenny Bona and Inge Loeffler provided snacks.
While it may seem ordinary to us, for some of these children it is their first time seeing a garden and learning how many of the vegetables and fruits they see in a grocery store are grown. But their memories of feeling welcomed, connecting more with classmates, helping with planting, and learning how the food grown helps feeds others made lasting impressions on them. After reading their thoughtful reflections, I’m sure they have made an impression on you.
I love St. Mark and the many ways we reach out to the community!!