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Thursday, May 9, 2013
Guerilla Gardening - Don't try this in MCPS!
When you watch this, remember that MCPS does not allow students to plant in the ground. They will only let students plant in containers, above the ground, and then, only with permission of some administrator.
Of course I can't find it when I'm looking for the link - my Google-fu is on the fritz this morning! LOL - but quite recently was an article in the Post about a school growing a vegetable garden. It didn't sound like a container effort only, either.
See the picture. Containers. The kids are standing next to a wooden, above ground container filled with dirt. No digging in the ground. MCPS teaches children that gardens can only exist above the ground, not in it.
There is also this from the text of the story: "On Saturday, from about 9 a.m. to noon, community volunteers began the first phase of the project: prepping the land for a large planting, which will take place this Saturday, Boger said. The space is described as about a quarter to a third of the size of a football field. It is currently a grassy area with four mature trees and sidewalks."
That doesn't sound like all containers to me, although they aren't specific enough for me to say it is or isn't. But "prepping the land" doesn't sound like containers to me.
Found this, with some plans further down. I can't tell what is containers and what is seating in some areas as the resolution isn't good enough (might be my computer, might be my glasses LOL), but on the left it looks like in-ground planting to me. http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/sligocreekes/templates/default.aspx?id=232249
It says greenhouse. There are lots of boxes drawn. There is no area that is shown as an in-ground vegetable garden. These were all designs that were being imagined.
The picture from The Washington Post shows the container. Planting a tree is not planting a vegetable garden. MCPS vegetable gardens are in containers above ground.
And a single picture doesn't mean the whole thing is a container garden. Anyone who knows more, I'd love to see more specific pictures!
For what it's worth, as a substitute teacher I have been to a number of different schools in the county and I know of two offhand that had non-container gardens, with vegetables, last school year. One was small-scale in a raised bed and children had rows of their own vegetables (which they partook of as desired), and the other I know of is much larger and planted directly in the ground and features vegetables, fruits, and flowering plants, and students were eating produce from this garden as well. I'd rather not disclose either school for fear of endangering either their gardens or their staff (wouldn't want someone getting a personal phone call from the Superintendent LOL), but they're out there.
I also recall reading recently, like within the past year or 2, of an MCPS school garden that Whole Foods, I believe, gave a grant for; it might be the Sligo garden, but I was pretty sure it was another school.... perhaps I'll try to look that up later.
"Out there" is not approved by MCPS. Yes, we know non-MCPS sanctioned gardens are out there. But, as you say, you are afraid to name them. That's the point! Why should anyone be afraid to say they grew vegetables in the ground????????
I didn't say I was "afraid" of anything..... I said I'd rather not "out" a school with a vegetable garden that, as you have so aptly pointed out, "is not approved my MCPS." Why would I want principals to get in trouble?
But nobody should be afraid of doing it, certainly not on school grounds, unless there's a darned good reason not to do so - which we haven't been presented with by MCPS on any occasion I can think of.
MCPS does not allow in ground gardens. They only permit container gardens:
"At the meeting it was stated that MCPS does not allow food growing in their gardens, however the policy on this has changed and MCPS does allow edible “container” gardens on school grounds"
Of course I can't find it when I'm looking for the link - my Google-fu is on the fritz this morning! LOL - but quite recently was an article in the Post about a school growing a vegetable garden. It didn't sound like a container effort only, either.
ReplyDeleteA-hah! I knew I wasn't imagining it: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-04-24/local/38776687_1_outdoor-classroom-parent-project
ReplyDeleteSee the picture. Containers. The kids are standing next to a wooden, above ground container filled with dirt. No digging in the ground. MCPS teaches children that gardens can only exist above the ground, not in it.
DeleteThat's one picture; I would love to see more.
DeleteThere is also this from the text of the story: "On Saturday, from about 9 a.m. to noon, community volunteers began the first phase of the project: prepping the land for a large planting, which will take place this Saturday, Boger said. The space is described as about a quarter to a third of the size of a football field. It is currently a grassy area with four mature trees and sidewalks."
That doesn't sound like all containers to me, although they aren't specific enough for me to say it is or isn't. But "prepping the land" doesn't sound like containers to me.
Found this, with some plans further down. I can't tell what is containers and what is seating in some areas as the resolution isn't good enough (might be my computer, might be my glasses LOL), but on the left it looks like in-ground planting to me.
Deletehttp://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/sligocreekes/templates/default.aspx?id=232249
It says greenhouse. There are lots of boxes drawn. There is no area that is shown as an in-ground vegetable garden. These were all designs that were being imagined.
DeleteThe picture from The Washington Post shows the container. Planting a tree is not planting a vegetable garden. MCPS vegetable gardens are in containers above ground.
And a single picture doesn't mean the whole thing is a container garden. Anyone who knows more, I'd love to see more specific pictures!
DeleteFor what it's worth, as a substitute teacher I have been to a number of different schools in the county and I know of two offhand that had non-container gardens, with vegetables, last school year. One was small-scale in a raised bed and children had rows of their own vegetables (which they partook of as desired), and the other I know of is much larger and planted directly in the ground and features vegetables, fruits, and flowering plants, and students were eating produce from this garden as well. I'd rather not disclose either school for fear of endangering either their gardens or their staff (wouldn't want someone getting a personal phone call from the Superintendent LOL), but they're out there.
I also recall reading recently, like within the past year or 2, of an MCPS school garden that Whole Foods, I believe, gave a grant for; it might be the Sligo garden, but I was pretty sure it was another school.... perhaps I'll try to look that up later.
"Out there" is not approved by MCPS. Yes, we know non-MCPS sanctioned gardens are out there. But, as you say, you are afraid to name them.
DeleteThat's the point!
Why should anyone be afraid to say they grew vegetables in the ground????????
I didn't say I was "afraid" of anything..... I said I'd rather not "out" a school with a vegetable garden that, as you have so aptly pointed out, "is not approved my MCPS." Why would I want principals to get in trouble?
DeleteBut nobody should be afraid of doing it, certainly not on school grounds, unless there's a darned good reason not to do so - which we haven't been presented with by MCPS on any occasion I can think of.
MCPS does not allow in ground gardens. They only permit container gardens:
Delete"At the meeting it was stated that MCPS does not allow food growing in their gardens, however the policy on this has changed and MCPS does allow edible “container” gardens on school grounds"
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/construction/projects/Docs/BCCMS2_2011-7-28%20Feasibility%20Study%20Meeting%20Notes.pdf
And what's MCPS's rationale for "above ground only"?
ReplyDeleteAnyone can do it. Anywhere. That's why it's called 'guerilla.' Go for it.
ReplyDelete