We are growing lots of different fruits and vegetables here at West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science this summer with the help of our Garden Apprentices Hope and Kianna. Here are a few items to look forward to on the salad bar this fall: 8 varieties of tomatoes, wax peppers, jalafuego peppers (fire hot!), jalapeño peppers, sweet corn, Indian corn (for grinding and making corn bread in the mud oven), 5 varieties of potatoes, watermelons, muskmelons, lots of beans for using as a dried bean and fresh green beans, tomatillos to add to our salsa, garlic, onions, carrots, radishes, spinach and lettuce, pumpkins and gourds! On Monday nights we have a Garden Club that is open to all WMAES families — we will work in the gardens, and then create something yummy to eat after all of our hard work. We will even play some games!
So, why do we put all this work into growing our own vegetables? The average meal travels 2500 miles to get to your plate! That requires a lot of natural resources to grow and transport the food to us. By growing just a small portion of what you eat, or what we serve to the students at lunch we are making an effort to use less natural resources like water, soil, and OIL! So, come on out to WMAES some Monday night and let’s garden, eat, and help the earth while having fun!