Senior students unknowingly became urban farmers as they explored firsthand the challenges and triumphs of growing seasonal, sustainable food in the very public HTHMA Garden. The food grown, as well as thematic units covered in environmental science, provided inspiration for the creation of conceptual “bites” served at our First Annual Garden to Table Expo. The Expo acted as a platform to share both a meal and our experiences in the Garden, connecting people to the environment through local, seasonal, and sustainable food.
Twelfth grade Environmental Science students discovered that growing food is not as easy as it first may seem. Bountiful spring harvests and subsequent produce sales generated both recognition and funding for the work that we were doing in the garden; student engagement was high and the possibilities seemed endless. Originally, our project plan was to continue planting, growing, and harvesting, and to touch upon key concepts in small-scale farming and agribusiness. While some of our produce was being sold through a pilot Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, the remainder of the produce was reserved for our final exhibition: the Garden to Table Expo. However, after returning from spring break we discovered that our Garden had suffered a good deal of vandalism and nearly all of our produce had been destroyed. Our CSA program came to an abrupt end, and we began pulling out dead plants, rebuilding soil, and planting crops anew. Luckily, throughout the semester we had been working with our local chapter of Slow Food, as well as Wild Willow Farm and the Explorer Garden. Through these groups, we were able to secure donations of all the produce we lost, as well as procure some specialty items. And thus the project was reborn…
In small teams, students were tasked with choosing one ingredient still growing in our Garden as the focal ingredient of a conceptual bite-sized dish. The dish had to represent a theme or topic that we had studied throughout the semester in Environmental Science (e.g. soil cultivation, companion planting, compost, drought, etc.), and had to be conveyed on the plate in an aesthetically pleasing manner using locally-sourced, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients. Through multiple practice rounds and critique sessions with professional chefs and food critics, student teams honed their focus and flavors to increase audience impact. Seven of the original 15 teams were chosen to mass-produce their bite at our First Annual Garden to Table Expo which was hosted in the HTHMA Garden. Accompanying infographics aided in conveying environmental science themes and connecting consumers to their food. To heighten environmental stewardship, our Expo was zero-waste and all food and plating was compostable.
For recipes, infographics, and photos from our Garden to Table Expo, please visit http://hthmagarden.weebly.com/spring-exhibition.html
Harnessing the energy of 49 individual and enthusiastic (and sometimes distracted) second semester seniors to produce a cohesive, professional, high-stakes exhibition has been one of the highlights of my teaching career and my lifetime. Looking back on the semester, I’m overwhelmed by the support of teachers and community partners as well as the adaptability, resilience, and grit of my student farmers. Nearly every side project, as well as our final exhibition, was impacted by the vandalism in our Garden. However, we were able to reach out to partners in our community that we’d been working with throughout the year to pull off a truly beautiful and highly meaningful end result. Networking and building community partnerships is so important – and the proof is in this project. Had we not built relationships with other professionals and organizations and truly embraced the essence of “Adult World Connection,” our Garden to Table project would not have been the dynamic, impactful, and successful project that it was.
Working in the garden was awesome, and I’m a much better human for having done so. I’m healthier, stronger, more confident, more independent, and more thoughtful about the global consequences of even the smallest of actions. The project was great too, and if there’s a Garden to Table Expo next year, I’m definitely going to come. — Audrey D.
The best part about working in the garden was to be able to interact with the food we grew and cook and make projects with it. I hadn’t had an experience so close with food and I think that this experience helped me gain a deeper insight of the process farmers have to go through and how hard it must be for them to keep up with the big factory farms. — Eduardo G.
I was amazed at how beautiful and professional everyone’s food looked. It felt like a real food festival, and all the bites were colorful and everyone really wanted to eat them. I was super stressed that we wouldn’t come up with a great dish for the project, but I was blown away with what we ended up with. Having people come up to us and say they had to come back and get seconds of our dish was really awesome. — Rosanna V.
I really loved the change of pace from sitting in a classroom to being outdoors and working with our hands. It was a totally different way to interact with my classmates that built a really positive class culture. — Taylor M.
I definitely think more about where my food comes from. I can’t always buy the best produce, but it’s always in the back of my mind now because now I know how much hard work goes into growing your own food. — Frida H.
Wanafunzi wa miaka ya mwisho bila kujua wakawa wakulima wa mijini walipochunguza changamoto na ushindi wa kukuza chakula cha msimu, endelevu katika bustani ya umma ya HTHMA. Chakula kilichokua, pamoja na vitengo vya mandhari vilivyofunikwa katika sayansi ya mazingira, vilitoa msukumo kwa uundaji wa "kinywaji" cha dhana kilichotolewa katika Maonyesho yetu ya Mwaka wa Kwanza ya Bustani hadi Meza. Expo ilifanya kazi kama jukwaa la kushiriki chakula na uzoefu wetu katika bustani, ikiunganisha watu na mazingira kupitia chakula cha ndani, cha msimu, na endelevu. Wanafunzi wa darasa la kumi na mbili wa Sayansi ya Mazingira waligundua kwamba kukuza chakula si rahisi kama inavyoonekana kwanza. Mavuno ya majira ya kuchipua na mauzo ya baadaye ya mazao yalitoa utambuzi na ufadhili kwa kazi tuliyokuwa tukifanya katika bustani; ushiriki wa wanafunzi ulikuwa juu na uwezekano ulionekana kuwa usio na mwisho. Mwanzoni, mpango wetu wa mradi ulikuwa kuendelea kupanda, kukua, na kuvuna, na kugusa dhana muhimu katika kilimo kidogo na biashara ya kilimo. Wakati baadhi ya mazao yetu yaliuzwa kupitia mpango wa majaribio wa Kilimo cha Kuungwa mkono na Jumuiya (CSA), sehemu iliyobaki ya mazao ilitengwa kwa maonyesho yetu ya mwisho: Bustani ya Expo. Hata hivyo, baada ya kurudi kutoka mapumziko ya spring tuligundua kwamba bustani yetu alikuwa ameteseka kiasi kikubwa cha uharibifu na karibu mazao yetu yote alikuwa kuharibiwa. Programu yetu ya CSA ilikoma ghafula, na tukaanza kuondoa mimea iliyokufa, kujenga tena udongo, na kupanda mazao mapya. Kwa bahati nzuri, katika kipindi chote cha muhula huo tulikuwa tukifanya kazi na sehemu yetu ya ndani ya Slow Food, pamoja na Shamba la Wild Willow na Bustani ya Explorer. Kupitia makundi haya, tuliweza kupata michango ya mazao yote tuliyopoteza, na pia kupata vitu fulani maalum. Katika timu ndogo, wanafunzi walipewa kazi ya kuchagua kiungo kimoja ambacho bado kinakua katika bustani yetu kama kiungo kikuu cha sahani ya kukata. Mlo huo ulihitaji kuwakilisha mandhari au mada ambayo tulikuwa tumejifunza katika muhula mzima katika Sayansi ya Mazingira (kwa mfano. Mimea ya udongo, mimea ya msaidizi, mbolea, ukame, nk. Kwa hivyo, bidhaa hizo zinapaswa kupakiwa kwenye sahani kwa njia ya kupendeza kwa kutumia viungo vya mitaa, vya msimu, na vya kudumu. Kupitia raundi nyingi za mazoezi na vikao vya ukosoaji na wapishi wa kitaalamu na wakosoaji wa chakula, timu za wanafunzi ziliboresha mwelekeo wao na ladha ili kuongeza athari za watazamaji. Timu saba kati ya timu 15 za awali zilichaguliwa kuzalisha kwa wingi katika maonyesho yetu ya kila mwaka ya bustani ya kwanza ya meza, ambayo ilifanyika katika bustani ya HTHMA. Infographics zinazoambatana zilisaidia katika kuwasiliana mandhari ya sayansi ya mazingira na kuunganisha watumiaji na chakula chao. Ili kuongeza utunzaji wa mazingira, Expo yetu ilikuwa na taka sifuri na chakula chote na plating ilikuwa compostable. Kwa mapishi, infographics, na picha kutoka kwa Jumba letu la Maonyesho ya Bustani, tafadhali tembelea http: www.hthmagarden.weebly.com.au.html Kutumia nishati ya wanafunzi 49 wa mwaka wa pili wa mwaka wa kwanza na wenye shauku (na wakati mwingine waliopoteza fikira) kutengeneza maonyesho ya ushirikiano, ya kitaaluma, na ya kiwango cha juu imekuwa moja ya mambo makuu ya kazi yangu ya kufundisha na maisha yangu. Nikitazama nyuma kwenye muhula huo, nimeshangazwa na msaada wa walimu na washirika wa jamii pamoja na uwezo wa kubadilika, uimara, na ujasiri wa wakulima wanafunzi wangu. Karibu kila mradi wa upande, pamoja na maonyesho yetu ya mwisho, yaliathiriwa na uharibifu katika Bustani yetu. Hata hivyo, tuliweza kuwasiliana na washirika katika jamii yetu ambao tumekuwa tukifanya kazi nao kwa mwaka mzima ili kupata matokeo mazuri na yenye maana sana. Mtandao na kujenga ushirikiano wa jamii ni muhimu sana <unk> na uthibitisho ni katika mradi huu. Kama hatungekuwa tumejenga mahusiano na wataalamu wengine na mashirika na kwa kweli tukakumbatia kiini cha "Uunganisho wa Ulimwengu wa Watu Wazima", mradi wetu wa Bustani hadi Meza haungekuwa mradi wenye nguvu, wenye athari, na uliofanikiwa ambao ulikuwa. Kufanya kazi katika bustani ilikuwa ya ajabu, na mimi ni binadamu bora zaidi kwa kuwa na kufanya hivyo. Mimi ni afya, nguvu, kujiamini zaidi, kujitegemea zaidi, na zaidi ya kufikiri kuhusu matokeo ya kimataifa ya hata ndogo ya vitendo. Mradi huo ulikuwa mzuri pia, na ikiwa kutakuwa na Maonyesho ya Bustani hadi Meza mwaka ujao, hakika nitakuja. """Kitu kizuri zaidi kuhusu kufanya kazi katika bustani ilikuwa kuweza kuingiliana na chakula tulichokua na kupika na kufanya miradi nayo." Sikuwa na uzoefu wa karibu sana na chakula na nadhani uzoefu huu ulinisaidia kupata ufahamu wa kina wa mchakato wa wakulima wanaopaswa kupitia na jinsi inapaswa kuwa ngumu kwao kuendelea na mashamba makubwa ya kiwanda. <unk> Eduardo G. Nilishangazwa na jinsi chakula cha kila mtu kilivyokuwa kizuri na cha kitaalamu. Ilikuwa kama tamasha la chakula halisi, na vidonda vyote vilikuwa na rangi na kila mtu alitaka kuvilia. Nilikuwa na wasiwasi sana kwamba hatungeweza kupata sahani nzuri kwa mradi huo, lakini nilishangazwa na kile tulichopata. Kuwa na watu kuja kwetu na kusema walikuwa na kuja nyuma na kupata sekunde ya sahani yetu ilikuwa kweli ajabu. """Nilikuwa na furaha sana na mabadiliko ya mwendo kutoka kukaa darasani hadi kuwa nje na kufanya kazi kwa mikono yetu." Ilikuwa njia tofauti kabisa ya kuingiliana na wanafunzi wenzangu ambayo ilijenga utamaduni mzuri wa darasa. Taylor M. Mimi kwa hakika hufikiria zaidi mahali ambapo chakula changu hutoka. Siwezi kununua bidhaa bora kila wakati, lakini daima iko nyuma ya akili yangu sasa kwa sababu sasa najua ni kazi ngumu gani inayoendelea kukuza chakula chako mwenyewe.  Frida H.