A Community Garden Project at Holt Middle School located in Fayetteville, Arkansas

Introduction Science teacher Justin Leflar started the Holt Middle

School (HMS) community garden in 2010 (Fig. 1). His goal was to create a space useful for many of the school’s academic subjects while teaching students about gardening and sustainable living. HMS

accommodates over 500 fifth, sixth and seventh grade students. A limited number of volunteers and the large student body made it difficult for the school to expand garden participation. The CSES Club approached Mr. Justin Leflar to team up and teach kids about sustainable agriculture and the environment (Figs. 2 & 4).

Community OutreachA rain barrel workshop was hosted at Holt Middle School for the local community on September 27, 2011 (Fig. 7). There were 25 barrels made at the event and the fee for a rain barrel was $25; this totaled to be about a $600 profit. All of the proceeds from the event will be used to fund future garden projects.

Club InvolvementCSES Club members have assisted the Holt Community Garden in:

• creating seven additional gardens • stabilizing tomato plants with cattle fence • supplying blueberry plants and compost tumblers (Fig. 3) • planting, watering and weeding gardens (Figs. 4, 5 &6)

Wetland RestorationUpon discovering wetland-indicator plant species in a drainage area within view of the school garden, the club encouraged school administrators to allow restoration back to a functional wetland. Greenhouse flats were sown with locally harvested Virginia and Canada wildrye seeds, with plans to have HMS students transplant them in late fall 2011. The wetland area will:• Receive warm-season transplants in spring 2012• Stabilize water flow and protect against soil erosion• Serve as an education tool for conserving wetlands

ConclusionCSES club involvement has increased HMS student participation from five students in March 2011 to 30 students in September 2011. Establishing seven additional gardens, providing compost tumblers, blueberry plants, and rain barrel supplies, and starting plant establishment for the HMS wetland motivates the children to incorporate sustainable practices, such as planting a garden at their own homes. This project has provided a valuable experiential learning opportunity for HMS students and CSES Club members to learn how to work together to grow food and achieve a common goal. Restoring the wetland patch will expand the students’ awareness of plants, soils, and environment beyond the food gardens to a more complex ecosystem.

Acknowledgements: Dr. Mary Savin, Dr. Chuck West, Dr. Robert Bacon, Mr. Justin Leflar, Division of Agriculture, Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability, Dr. Jennie Popp, Dana Smith, Apple Seeds, Inc., Fayetteville Public Schools, Scott Mattke, and UA Extension Service.

ObjectivesThrough participation with the HMS community garden, the CSES Club aimed to:

• increase student involvement with the community garden• increase gardening area• create a wetland restoration educational area• increase community awareness of sustainable gardening Plants Grown in the HMS Gardens

Common Name Scientific Name UseBasil Ocimum basilicum Cafeteria

Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum Individual consumptionCarrot Daucus carota Individual consumption

Cauliflower Brassica oleracea Individual consumptionCilantro Coriandrum sativum CafeteriaJalepeño Capsicum annuum Individual consumptionLettuce Lactuca sativa CafeteriaPotato Solanum tuberosum Individual consumption

Pumpkin Cucurbita maxima Individual consumptionRosemary Rosemaryinus officinalis CafeteriaSnow pea Pisum sativum CafeteriaSpinach Spinacia oleracea CafeteriaSquash Cucurbita pepo Individual consumption

Sunflower Helianthus annuus Individual consumptionTomato Solanum lycopersicum Individual consumption

Crop, Soils and Environmental Sciences Club (CSES), University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR

Figure 1. Holt Middle School’s initial garden in the front of the school.

Figure 2. Holt Middle School students preparing seedlings.

Figure 3. Garden Club students turning the donated compost tumblers.

Figure 4. CSES members and Holt Middle School students plant pumpkin seeds and harvest tomatoes.

Figure 5. Sammi Jones, Andrea Love, and Sara Potter help Holt Middle School students prepare their seed beds by planting sunflower and squash seeds.

Figure 6. CSES club member, Stephanie Kulesza, and middle school students fix bamboo supports for plants.

Figure 7. At the rain barrel workshop, Kristen Karnes assists community members by helping them attach hose pieces to their barrels.

Table 1. Common and scientific names as well as the use of the produce grown in Holt Middle School gardens.

Figure 8. Current wetland area south of Holt Middle School’s gardens. Erosion and exotic species are present.

Figure 9. Future restoration plans for the 600ft.2 educational area at the middle school.

Figure 10. Mr. Justin Leflar, Sean Flynn, Kristen Karnes, Erica Stacy, and Andrea Love standing in front of the now established vegetable and flower garden with Holt Middle School students.