Benjamin Franklin students plant school vegetable garden

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Students at schools across our area are developing green thumbs thanks to a proliferation of school gardens.

Kids at Benjamin Franklin Elementary in Binghamton planted their first vegetable garden in the spring with assistance from a grant secured by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Broome County.

CCE is using the funding from the National Institute for Food and Agriculture to help Franklin and seven other schools purchase raised beds, soil, fencing and other startup costs.

5th grad teacher Jennifer O’Shea was in the garden with fifth graders earlier this week trimming the basil, hoeing the rows and harvesting cucumbers.

O’Shea says the process starts with germinating seeds inside the school.

“Even as young as first graders, they’re very excited. They want to talk about their own gardens at home. They want to talk about their experiences. Then, it’s been really nice for them to get the opportunity to see the whole life cycle as the plants are growing and bring it out here to see. 100% excitement all the way,” said O’Shea.

O’Shea uses the garden to teach a variety of math and science concepts.

The students planted tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, corn, butternut squash, acorn squash, lettuce and basil. The pumpkins and squash will be used in classroom projects.

Sean Cummings directs the Environment Program at CCE.

He says each school designs their program to suit its specific needs.

Some use the vegetables in school lunches while other make it available in a school food pantry.

“A hands-on kind of lesson or education to me always seems more impactful as somebody who’s been teaching gardening for a while. I also think it’s really important to get to students at a young age to teach them the connection between their food and where it comes from,” said Cummings.

O’Shea and Cummings took turns over the summer making weekly trips to the garden for some weeding and watering.

Cummings says he’d like to see every school in the area start its own vegetable garden.

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