On May 11th, the students at Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts got a lesson in growing vegetables, compost, the Three Sisters (corn, beans and squash), harvesting greens, and more. Victory boxes (more on that below) were set up right outside the school on top of the asphalt. They were given a nice head start with help from Victory Farms. There was also discussion about their home gardens and vegetables in general. To cap off the experience just this past week the 1st grade class helped gather the salad fixings and sat down for some lunch.
Gina and Dena brought the bowls and salad spinner, the staff brought the 1st graders, and the kids brought the excitement to our first Victory Boxes Harvest Day! After cutting all the lettuce in the boxes and supplementing with more from the boxes back in the greenhouse, the entire student population at Patrick Henry School of Arts and Sciences enjoyed a fresh salad for lunch. Many kids who at first turned down the salad ended up trying a bowl after seeing their friends go back for seconds. Itâs just what weâre striving for â happy, smiling faces shoveling in the salad greens! [via Victory Boxes]
Victory Boxes is owned and managed by Charlie and Gina Collins. They used to be the driving force behind Victory Farms, a well know face at all the local farmers’ markets including South of the James. Last year they sold the farm, and moved to a different scaled project. There mission is summed up quite nicely from their website.
A continued commitment to educating the community on all aspects of vegetable gardening and healthy eating remains our main focus. We look forward to opening more young minds and palates to the ideas of growing and eating fresh vegetables, making use of local materials through composting, growing young farmers, and understanding sustainability and the cycles of life.
A Victory Box is a 2-foot square portable boxes so that you can move your greens, veggies, and herbs to where ever you have space in your yard. Added bonus of no tilling, less weeding and can even be grown on a patio if that is where the sun happens to hit.
Great idea by Victory Box and nice to see kids enjoying a really fresh salad at school lunch.
All photos courtesy of Victory Box.
