This project was brought to the Master Gardeners by Bonnie Jones, MG Intern, class of 2010.
Begun in January of 2011, working with the Boys and Girls Club of Burkburnett, the Master Gardeners have literally worked this project from the ground up. With help from Quality Implement, who came and plowed the garden area, plenly of compost and expanded shale were worked into the soil ahead of planting.
Bonnie Jones did a wonderful beginning presentation for the children,explaining which vegetables would be started from seed and which ones would be transplants, how each should be handled and put into the ground. Each month, a Master Gardener will be doing a program for the children on correct watering and why we need to mulch our gardens, weeding, Good Bug, Bad Bug, nutrition, preparing and preserving food and finally, putting the garden to bed for the winter. When they begin to harvest, all vegetables will be counted and weighted.
Every week the children will be out in the garden with the Master Gardeners, checking for insects, pulling weeds, and doing all the chores that go along with a vegetable garden. By the end of this years garden, the children will understand, the vegetables they see on their plates started out as a seed being planted in the ground, not just magically appearing in a Green Giant can!!!
An EarthKind Vegetable Variety Trial will also take place in this garden. The children will help collect the data to be reported to Dr. Steve George in Dallas.
