In some cities choosing your children's elementary school is an angst-filled adventure. Like so many others we put our children in the school that we thought would be the best fit academically, developmentally and socially and prayed like a soldier in a foxhole that we'd gotten it right.
We never asked if the school was "green". That would have been too much to hope for.
Guess what? We could've asked because there would have been a lovely surprise.
At first glance The Wesley School is like so many others, it's tucked away behind a beautiful red brick chapel. The Wesley School and the First United Methodist Church have a lovely marriage wherein the school makes use of the buildings that the Church doesn't use during the school week.
There's nothing greener than using what already exists.
Like so many other schools there's an active parent association (here's where I get to brag a little). One of the mothers in the school is a chef. Not a cook but a real honest to goodness chef. Christine Drapkin is also an urban farmer.
Yesterday I kinda hung out in the kitchen and watched Christine get ready to feed 200 people a healthy and hearty lunch. I wanted to ask her about the organic garden but I had to confess that I'd never seen it. You see I'm such a city girl that if things aren't in rows marked 'Garden' then it's quite likely I'll have no clue, and I'm not the only one.
So I asked Christine, "What does it take to create an organic garden?"
I swear it was like turning on a light switch. Christine grabbed my arm and we scooted outside to see the garden.
Well, where I thought there would be rows of corn there were lush borders of tomatoes and the potted plants that once held daisies now have Jerusalem Artichokes. Apparently an organic garden requires a few beds, sun, water and seeds. Oh, and before they fruit, plants flower so it's a mighty pretty place to hang out.
I couldn't follow Christine's excited banter but basically she asked if she could plant an organic garden on the campus and then use the (mostly) vegetables when she prepares the children's lunches. About a nanosecond after they said, "yes" she had torn out flowers that no one noticed anyhow and was busy preparing the soil for beans, eggplants, basil and beets.
What's so remarkable about all of this is that in a tiny urban setting one woman was able to cultivate a quarter acre of food without taking away any of the usable spaces we'd all grown accustomed to. The garden is green and lush, just as beautiful as any row of typical flowers would be.
Much of the food my children are served has traveled approximately 10 feet to make its way onto their plate.
I can't promise you that every school will have a dynamo like Christine or an administration that's savvy enough to keep a school profitable but still cozy enough to hug a tree. You might get lucky (like me) and have someone who will grab the baton and run or you yourself might be the urban farmer who yanks out the dead pansies and puts tomatoes in their stead.
Before you say there's no room, remember that Christine planted a quarter acre using only flower beds that would have been described as borders.
Oh, and did I mention that kids will try anything after they've seen it grow?
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