Stella Cannizzaro, Grace Moustakas and Kaden Giroux help plant a mulberry tree as part of the garden at Berlin Elementary School.

Editor,
Check out the newly planted ‘living fence’ around the perimeter of the 78’ x 86’ garden! This spring, the funding from the Farm to School Grant, awarded 2 years ago, culminated with the purchase of fruit plants and trees, and herbaceous perennial edibles. Berlin Elementary School consulted with Nicko Rubin, of East Hill Tree Farm in Plainfield, and purchased 21 fruit plants and trees (pear, apple, plum, honeyberry, gooseberry, blueberry, currant, elderberry, juneberry, and aronia). One will also notice a variety of plants around their bases. These perennial medicinal and culinary plants were acquired and planted with Aaron Guman, of Walking Onion in Montpelier (Turkish Rocket, Seakale, Horseradish, Comfrey, Lovage, Sweet Cicely, Echinacea, Lemon balm, Chocolate Mint, Perpetual Sorrel, Skirret, & Solomon’s Seal).

The PTNA needs to be acknowledged for contributing $633 to help complete Phase I of the garden plan. The money went to 1) five yards of compost for planting the fruit trees; 2) horticultural-grade plastic for the hoop house to extend our growing season; and 3) hemlock to complete two more raised beds for the preschool section of the garden.

Additionally, Asplundh Tree Service dropped off 10 yards of free wood chips to cover the garden walkways and provide a microbial feast for the new plantings.

It is exciting to consider how the community will learn about and benefit from the food harvested from this garden for years to come! Please stop by and check it out.

Meg Dawkins
Berlin Elementary Speech-Language Pathologist