Head Start students learn from the garden

Life - Head Start students learn from the garden
By Laura Wilson
Staff Writer

(Photo in today's Stillwater NewsPress shows Teacher Tammy Moffat and students with appropriate caption)

The Head Start community garden became a classroom without walls recently.

Carl Barnes and Al Toops of Conservation Organization for the Restoration of Native Seeds and Dick Ortez, local grower and owner of El Sueno Enterprises, guided 90 children and a dozen teachers, parents and volunteers in planting the three sisters — corn, beans and squash.

Each child planted a corn, bean or squash seed in the outdoor garden, alongside other vegetables planted by community volunteers.

CORNS has led classrooms across the United States in this traditional Indian ceremonial planting. Barnes, who was awarded the Cherokee Medal of Honor in 2001 for his work, and Toops have also assisted Cornell University in developing gardening curriculum, available on the Internet at .

The children also examined fresh-cut broccoli and green onions pulled from the garden, along with ladybugs, worms and other garden curiosities. Classes had previously planted seeds indoors, along with radishes and other seeds in their outdoor plot, and recent art projects and other activities had a gardening theme.

“Our work with the children has really been aided by having the community garden this year,” said teacher Lucille Duncan.

Participants in organizing and planting this community garden are Rachel Toops, manager of Countryside Gardens; Ilda Hershey of Sustainable Stillwater; Cara and Ron Beer, Progressive Interfaith Coalition representatives; Kelsey McCollum, Payne County Extension and participants of her Master Gardener class; Chris Brock, Head Start teacher; and Imad Abouzahr, Head Start parent.

Other volunteers include Phillip Moffat, Fred Causley, Eddie Whitehead, Jo Heiliger, Kevin Drees, Sharla Lovern and Cynthia Drescher.

Compost, seed, plants, fertilizer and drip hoses have been donated by Oklahoma State University agricultural classes, JohnnyÂ’s Selected Seeds Company and several other people and organizations.