Hit Pay Dirt!

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Mr. Painter, outdoor lab instructor, has worked to educated the students about systems and cycles over the last 15 years.  Essential to his curriculum is teaching the students how to nurture and maintain our garden in natural ways.  Our pathways throughout the garden are layered with recycled woodchips.  During the year he instructs classes during lab time or as part of his after school program, how to recycle the soil already in place.

Mr. Painter built soil sifters for the students to utilize during their regular maintenance activities.  First, students remove the wood chips from the pathways during the after school program.

The soil beneath, which has been enriched naturally from years of decomposing, is removed.   The students sift the soil and separate it into 2 categories, fine or still decomposing.

The fine soil is then transplanted to the current crops.  Soil that has not been completely decomposed is returned to the pathways.  Next the students add layers of lawn clippings or recycled fall foliage donated to the garden by our community for the purpose of organic gardening.  Finally more wood chips are added to the pathways and the cycle is repeated throughout the year.