Whiz Kids: Caretakers at Columbus School

Columbus school has a small garden plot just beyond its main entrance. Volunteer Susan Schmidt has coaxed that bit of dirt to grow far more than vegetables.

Summer Garden Club has been growing strong for four years now, and those Medford kids dig, harvest, water, cook, and create the current garden and gardens for years to come. After a brief circle time, the kids move onto digging, watering and harvesting. They are welcome to taste whatever is currently growing and are shown how to prepare the harvest when they get home.

 "I want kids to learn where their food comes from, to learn to be good caretakers of the earth and its inhabitants, and to feel good about gardening. Hopefully, even if the child does not have a home garden, he or she will come away with a positive feeling about gardening," Schmidt said. "Maybe later in life, they may start a garden because they remember the enjoyment they got as a kid and how good those
veggies tasted."

On their last day of Garden Club, the Whiz Kids picked and prepared the ingredients for pesto and couscous salad. When it came time to eat, everyone was willing to try new foods (a parent's dream!). The Whiz Kid caretakers are sharing the bounty in profound ways.

"I am always a little surprised, but also very happy to observe that kids love to dig in the dirt," Schmidt said. "Even though the dirt is heavy and hard to move, they enjoy flexing their muscles.  If I tell them to move dirt around, they will do it instantly."