Edible Peace Patch Blogs

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Saturday, February 18, 2012

These kids belong in a Peace Patch

Around the corner, at Sanderlin, I get the call that we have a decent laundry list of projects to do. " They want us to build a compost, spread coffee grounds all over the garden, plant some pineapple tops and if there's any extra time..."

That class ran over, my partner and I jumbled our plans, and his phone planned a 10 minute labor strike as my first trip to Eckerd became a mission to find his expertly hidden dorm. 

An hour later, our timeline was 20 minutes to create a compost bin out of palates and get pineapple tops in the ground. The time crunch translated itself into clarity of mind, which in turn zipped a few screws.  We were two screws from completion, when a storm of cuteness was gently corralled into the garden. 

The next twenty minutes flashed by. When I asked how many of them had gardens at home  70% of the class shot their hands up. The kids knew a lot too; But it wasn't that they knew about bugs and butterflies and what plants were what that impressed me most. What impressed me most was their garden demeanor. They stroked the leaves gently, loved touching the earth, and seemed really compassionate with each other. They were asking lots of questions, and even when the answers were more complex than they could grasp I could see a deeper understanding settling subconsciously.

Then just as quickly as they appeared, the whole class ambled off to their next adventure and we were left with our pineapple tops and palates. I thought of something I'd heard a few days before, "We should stop teaching children and start learning from them. "


Digging deep for sedge roots


Buddies



Our compost pile is no Walden, but it's a start





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1 comment:

  1. As I began reading this post to my family, I almost could not get through it. The emotion I felt made my voice weak and waver as I fought back the tears of gratitude. I am so deeply touched by all the volunteers from Eckerd share with our students. Thank you for everything you do, our children will never forget the time spent at the Peace Patch.

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