Cultivating Curiosity

26 September 2012Charlotte D

Small fingers push aside the layers of conglomerate earth. There, amongst the soil as rich as chocolate cake, she catches a glimpse of speckled yellow flesh. Excitement building, she thrusts her hands deep into the ground and pulls forth a medium sized potato. Holding it high above her head, she triumphantly shouts “Potato! I found a potato!” clutching the small, golden trophy still dusted with earth. This potato, however, was far from being the first treasure she discovered that day, and she soon relinquishes her grasp, placing it in the box overflowing with a multitude of previously harvested vegetables.

On Saturday, September 15th, a class of brand new kindergarteners from Khowhemun Elementary School came to the BEAT garden, accompanied by their teachers and a group of Brentwood students. They learned about what might grow in a garden, and what it needs to survive. They were able to sniff herbs, curiously rubbing sage between their fingers as they tried to place the vaguely familiar smell.

Next came the gardening.

Gloves were turned aside; there was no hesitation about getting their hands dirty. They jumped right in, digging up beets, onions, potatoes, carrots, and other vegetables. They studiously and determinedly uncovered every last vegetable, and once the harvest was complete, they delighted in picking up the variety of insect life displaced as they rummaged through the soil. Each child then picked a green tomato, to be wrapped delicately in newspaper and ripened back at school. Finally, they had a taste of fresh rhubarb dipped in sugar, their faces adorably puckering as many of them tasted the vibrant red and sour stalk for the first time.

Once the children said goodbye, somehow still brimming with inquisitive energy, the vegetables were put to use. Every Sunday, students gather in Ellis House to make soup and other lunch items for the children at Khowhemun. And so the process of gardening has come nearly full circle, as these vegetables, planted at the end of last school year, find their way to the table.

Charlotte D

Where Students Choose To Be