Garden Beat

Students have been working with our garden educator, Julian Dominic, getting the Sabin edible garden ready for winter - putting on its "blanket" of cover crops like rye, buckwheat, straw and leguminous plants. Earlier this fall, garlic made its way into the ground and has been showing signs of sprouting. Loads of kale, carrots and daikon were planted as well.

In addition to planting, since we were the lucky recipients of some cedar for the N. playground project, Sabinites have been learning about cedar and our relationship to the revered tree. They've had a small lesson on cedar fiber making, basketry, and have been harvesting, cracking and leeching tannin from the meat of the school's large chestnut and acorn "crop". This tannin will be used later in the school year to dye baskets that will be made with first nation folks. Some students have also been learning about wild plants used for medicine. Dandelion, plantain, mallow, cedar needles, raspberry leaf, and lemon balm are among the friends we have "met" recently and some students have made salve - learning about the importance of this for bee stings, scrapes and rashes.

In the coming months, students will learn about the importance of composting and working in a closed-loop system. Food, decomposition, soil, food. With this continuity, children's phenomenological understanding of the world will greatly increase their ability to learn and interpret natural systems. Lastly, our students have been learning that as we are planting and harvesting in our garden, we are never growing for our mouths only but for the mouths of those who need it the most. Students will grow food to support the SUN food bag program and possibly other programs as well.

Please support the garden and all that it is doing for our school by coming to our Whole Foods fundraiser, The Taste of Thanksgiving on November 5th. And don't forget to come out, say "hi", and see what is happening in the garden! Here's to an abundant year.