Enlarge photo | |
Hard At It
It was April 14th, 2011, and the sight that greeted us was a sheer delight--30 kindergarten boys and girls from Boyd Elementary School in Springfield, Missouri, working like crazy to create a garden.
|
|
Enlarge photo | | Keepin' On
We'd never seen kids work so hard or so fast, and we're not kidding. They were literally doing it all, too.
|
|
Enlarge photo | | Okay, It's Full
"It's full. Let's go!" one called, and they wheeled the dirt over to the raised beds.
|
|
Enlarge photo | | The Planters
The planting people, and plenty of 'em.
|
|
Enlarge photo | | Doin' It Right
Hey, what gives? We couldn't do any better. And he's, well, you know, not big like us.
|
|
|
|
|
Enlarge photo | | All Planted Up
Three beds planted, watered, and good for the growing.
|
|
Enlarge photo | | Jon Hagler
The day was about the Midtown School Garden and the Missouri Department of Agriculture's 10,000 Gardens Challenge, a program to, and we quote, "encourage Missourians to get their hands dirty" by making gardens. Jon Hagler, the agency's director, was there, and listen, you'd like this guy. He's for real. He told us about one of the kids telling him, "If you're good at growing things, can you grow some ice cream sandwiches?"
|
|
Enlarge photo | | Conversations
Hagler gave a moving, funny, inspiring talk about how we're not far removed from our farm roots and how if we get back to the soil it just might make for a better world. We thought he was dead on, and after his remarks he met, made time for, and chatted amiably with just about everybody.
|
|
Enlarge photo | | The Booth
The Missouri Department of Agriculture had a booth going to pass out info and also present were several of their people, who impressed us no little with their obvious sincerity and good humor and obvious desire to, well, do real good in this world.
|
|
Enlarge photo | | The Garden Story
How the Midtown School Garden works. Check the mission statement at bottom of the sign. They're not kidding. This day and this event were so good and so filled with heart that we left feeling that, what do you know, we have a future after all, we Americans.
|
|
Printer friendly version
