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| Ayana Johnson, who participated in the Boys & Girls Club of Chester summer camp, proudly displays freshly harvested vegetables from the award-winning garden. |
Chester, Pa.—The garden at the Boys & Girls Club of Chester has yielded a bumper crop of fruit and vegetables this year. Now, the soil has produced something else – a first place prize in the Penn State Extension Master Gardeners Program Garden Contest.
The Boys & Girls Club took top prize in Delaware County in the Youth Garden category, and the children from the club will receive recognition for their accomplishment at the 10th Annual Master Gardeners’ Fall Fest on September 28 at Smedley Park in Springfield, Pa.
“These young gardeners should be very proud of their accomplishment,” McLaughlin said. “It’s the kids’ garden. I just advise them. They’re fun to work with.”
The children planted, cultivated and harvested eight raised-bed gardens of string beans, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, cantaloupe, potatoes, kale, watermelon, and a slew of other fruit and vegetables. They also collected rainwater for the gardens and made their own compost for the plants.
“It’s a very efficient garden, and the try to keep it as organic as possible,” McLaughlin said. “They harvested an enormous amount of vegetables from the garden this year. That’s important, especially in an urban area where we want to make people aware of good nutrition.”
Up to 15 children from the club worked the garden throughout the spring and summer, and they were allowed to take home what they harvested for their own dinner tables. Because of the size of the crop, there was plenty left for donation to organizations such as the Bernadine Center in Chester.
McLaughlin and the Boys & Girls Club already have big plans for the future. The club has launched a brick campaign to raise money for the club. The community is invited to order 4” x 8” bricks for a tax deductable donation of $120 each. The bricks will be engraved with the names of those who support the club. The brick pathway will surround the garden and play area at the club. To order a brick, visit www.bricksrus.com/order/boysgirlsclubofchester.
of ALL your stories, this one makes me proudest! why? "teach a man to fish..." our children HAVE to learn to produce, instead of just being consumers. as an ardent admirer/follower of booker t. washington, this absolutely makes me thrilled. you may remember mrs. grasty had me tending her gardent of string beans, collards, lettuce, peppers, melons, tomatoes, et. al. though it is daily, arduous work; tilling soil, pulling weeds, watering, pruning, etc., it is SO worth it when you see the results of your work. perhaps these kids will have someone teach them how to make a buck off their labor. THAT'S the key! perhaps their's a sponsor who can get them to a farmer's market to sell. maybe they open their own fruit/produce stand. best wishes to the future farmers of america. finally, thank you, mr. mclaughlin!
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