History comes to life in a Michigan school garden

As you walk into the Chatfield School gardens there is a buzz of noise. You can smell nature (and chicken poop). The chickens are clucking and you can hear the gardener (Peter, our Ecology teacher) calling you in.

Our gardens at Chatfield are educational in many different ways. We use the garden’s crops to explain economic terms like producer and consumer in a fun and educational way. We do this by turning the crops into pizza and salsa, while identifying the economic terms that were in the food making process. We use primitive tools that were used by Native Americans to tend to the garden and we used natural resources to create a wigwam (a Native American shelter). These are only a few of the many ways the garden is educational.

Garden helpers: The Chatfield chickens enjoy their job of keeping the garden free of insect pests.

Many people tend to the garden. It is definitely a group effort. Peter, the students, the teachers, and even our chickens take care of the garden. We have a garden club that tends to the garden every Monday after school. Also we have a portable cage with chickens that destroy weeds, eat insects, and turn up the soil. As you can see we have many people and animals that care for our garden.

We use the garden socially in many ways. We use it to build teamwork skills, like standing on a log and trying to get in order without talking. We use the garden for holidays, like grandparents' day to have guests visit our garden. Sometimes we let other schools and other members in the community use the garden for field trips to learn things hands-on.

The students of Chatfield are involved in helping the garden. The students plant all of the seeds and trees in the garden. They water the plants and pick them when they’re ripe. The students move the chicken tractor, observe the chickens, clean the cage, and collect the eggs. That’s how the students take care of the garden.

Pizza time! These pizzas are topped with spinach and chives from the garden, and the crusts are made with locally-grown whole wheat.

The garden’s produce is used to do things not only helping Chatfield, but also the entire community. We donate some of our produce to food banks, for the needy. Also we use the produce to cook in the mud-oven (an oven made of mud that is outside). We use things like pumpkins to decorate during the harvest season, and freshly cut flowers brighten up our school throughout the year. The garden produce is used to help Chatfield School and our community.

Last, but definitely not least, the students at our school have been changed for life in how they see nature and the world. Students are learning how to care for the world and produce superb food at the same time. They are aware that some of the world’s resources are limited and we need to be careful how we use them. One way we use our resources wisely is by composting our fruit and vegetables and recycling. The history of the Native Americans that is taught in the garden helps the students every day know the people of the land and their contributions to growing fresh fruits and vegetables. Our gardens help Chatfield and the entire Lapeer community.