EAT DIRT is a simple, back-to-basics guide for starting a garden at your school in five easy steps. The most successful gardens are ones that express the creativity and circumstance of the gardeners, and EAT DIRT is designed to give the you the freedom that is necessary to achieve this goal. Not only is EAT DIRT a guide, but also a revolution. Through growing your own food, you can develop a relationship with nature and a better appreciation for the food that nourishes you. By working with the dirt, EAT DIRT aims to bring kids back to nature, creating a generation that is aware of their food and it's origin, and fostering a strong sense of care for the Earth. I hope this guide will help you to begin a successful garden, but most of all, I hope you will discover the beautiful magic of nature, and a better understanding of your place in it. ~Lucie Kulze
I. Establish a Core A small group of four to six people who serve as the backbone of the garden The strongest core includes students from all grades and a teacher or administrator Not necessary, but very helpful if most of the core members have a green thumb or gardening background For optimal success, the people in the core should be passionate about EAT DIRT and display a strong commitment to the success of the school garden. If a core member is leaving make sure they nominate a replacement who has been properly oriented to the garden program. II. Develop a Plan Garden size - Start small! Three 4x8-raised beds are a great starting point. - Success the first season provides momentum and confidence for expanding in the future. Location- be sure the garden has - Easy access to water - Receives 8 hours of full sun daily - Is located in a highly visible area where parents, students, and teachers can readily view and enjoy it Recruit your garden work force - For an individual to thoroughly experience gardening they must feel responsible for what s going on in the dirt. A good gardener to bed ratio is 3 to 1. - Establish an EAT DIRT club where members can be the gardeners or participate in fundraising for the garden, start transplants for the garden, or any other activities/ events the EAT DIRT club decides to do.
III. List of Essentials Material Soil and mushroom compost Seed Lumber Hose, nozzle, and garden rake Local Resource All Seasons sherry@allseasonsmulch.com 843.559.5829 www.charlestonlandscapesupplies.com The Seed Fairy Amy L. Dabbs Adabbs@Clemson.edu 843.722.5940 ext122 Hughes Family Lumber Hughes@hughesfambiz.com 843.577.6671 Hyams Garden Center, Lowes, or any local hardware store IV. Funding Seek donations first - Local businesses are likely to donate materials or provide a discount if you let them know what your project and mission is. - Parents will be happy to provide small items like a hose, nozzle, and garden rake. Fundraising ideas - Sell EAT DIRT shirts. This helps spread the EAT DIRT mission and is great fundraising for your garden. Contact Andy Natusch at 828-406-7904 or andynatusch@gmail.com for more info. They are hand printed for only $9 a shirt, so selling them for $15 is a great deal and the garden receives $6 from each shirt! - Send a letter home with students telling parents about the garden and the EAT DIRT mission. Just $5 makes a difference! - Sell healthy baked goods, salads, and other dishes during lunch
V. Get DIRTY! Through out the season - keep the beds weed-free by pulling weeds up as they sprout - water in the mornings everyday when the plants are young and as they mature you can water every other day. Learn to read a plant for when it is thirsty (you will get better at this the more you garden- this is called the green thumb!). If it s leaves are wilted, then it is probably thirsty Before school begins... - Test the soil below which you will be placing the raised beds. See: http:// soiltest.umass.edu/sites/soiltest.umass.edu/files/forms/soil/routine%20soil %20Analysis%20-%20Use%20This%20Form%20for%20Turf%2C%20Landscaping %2C%20and%20Home%20Gardening-editable.pdf - If the sample comes out lead positive then the beds need to be 20 in. in height. Otherwise the beds can be sized 4x8 ft and 10+ in. in height. See: http:// bonnieplants.com/wp-content/uploads/building-a-super-easy-4x8-raised-bed.pdf for instructions on building a raised bed. Disregard soaker hose and potting soil - If summer vegetables are desired, be sure to start transplants in June or July so they will be ready to plant in the garden when school begins. Follow seed package s instructions on starting transplants Reuse old cans and food containers as transplant pots August - Have soil prepared for planting; 3:1 ratio of soil to compost, make sure there are no large chunks and soil is soft through out the bed - Plant carrots, beets, radish, bush and pole beans, broccoli, collards, Swiss chard, kale and lettuces according to seed package s instructions - Start transplants for lettuces, herbs, kale, collards, broccoli, and Swiss chard. Have kids that want to be involved, but the garden does not have room for, take care of the transplants until they are planted into the school garden September through December - Harvest fall crops - When transplants are ready plant them if there is space in the garden - In risk of frost, cover beds with a sheet at night - Core discuss a plan/develop a working schedule for the garden over Christmas break January and February - Continue harvesting plants that are still producing - Plant beets, radish, carrots, lettuce, snow peas, sugar snap peas, and sweet peas
- Indoors start warm season transplants for tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumbers, and herbs March through Schools Out! - After risk of frost, plant warm season transplants - Plant beans, yellow squash, zucchini, and cucumber - If the gardeners wish to continue the garden over the summer be sure the core establishes a working schedule before school is out, and new core members for the following year are nominated and taught the garden s workings