Instructor uses real garden to teach ag at H-BC Secondary

Agriculture instructor Cloey Anderson plans to have students redesign a vegetable garden on the grounds of the Hills-Beaver Creek Secondary School in Hills.
Anderson was awarded an agricultural education summer grant through the Minnesota Department of Education.
The $1,731 grant doubles Anderson’s summer contract from 10 to 20 hours.
“With those days I will be attending more professional development through the Minnesota Association of Agricultural Educators and will also be working at making a garden. And I will be able to supervise students working out there,” she said.
Garden planning gets underway by Anderson’s 10th grade ag class in early March. They will work with a plot on the school property that was last used as a garden about four years ago.
“We will be growing the regular veggies — corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, etc.,” Anderson said.
The garden is intended to expose students to starting seeds, planning a garden, researching plant varieties, and how to set up a garden to grow successfully.
“Many people have gardens so I think it is an important skill to have,” Anderson said.
Currently Anderson plans to give any mature produce to the school’s food service or the area food shelf for use or distribution. Depending on yields, students may be exposed to a farmers market.
Student volunteers will tend the garden through the summer, to weed, water and harvest. Anderson will provide supervision.
“I hope students learn how to provide for themselves, and get a good idea of nutrition and where some of the food they eat comes from, as well as what it takes to get to that point,” she said.