Bainville School Garden Brings Fresh Lessons To Table

Across the street from Bainville School, a garden helps bring locally grown produce into the cafeteria while giving students a chance to learn where their food comes from.

Cook Natasha Matlow oversees the garden and works with students and kitchen employees to harvest and prepare its produce. From cilantro-lime rice to kale smoothies, the garden’s harvest is finding its way into a variety of school meals.

“Our kids have done really well eating vegetables,” Matlow said.

The garden recently produced a large crop of kale. Although insects damaged some of the leaves and changed plans to make kale chips, Matlow said the produce would not go to waste. The kale was washed, chopped and frozen for use in smoothies.

Pairing kale with fruit such as pineapple makes smoothies especially popular with students.

“They’ll drink it,” Matlow said. Getting children excited about trying vegetables has taken creativity and patience. Matlow said vegetables have sometimes been added to casseroles and other familiar dishes to encourage students to give them a chance.

A small reward can also help. “It’s amazing what kids will eat for a sticker,” Matlow said.

Students receive stickers for trying foods featured through the school’s Harvest of the Month activities. The program introduces students to different foods and gives the kitchen staff an opportunity to incorporate fresh ingredients into school meals.

Herbs were recently highlighted with cilantro-lime rice made using cilantro grown in the school garden. Matlow said the program can also help students recognize ingredients such as dill and learn how herbs are used in cooking.

Cherries were another recent focus. After kitchen staff member Ashley gathered a small number of chokecherries, Matlow hoped to collect more. However, the berries were gone by the time she was able to return to the bushes during the busy opening weeks of school.

A contact in Sidney oered to provide chokecherry syrup, allowing the school to continue with its plans and give students another locally inspired food to sample.

The garden and kitchen are also places where students can gain hands-on experience.

Sophomore volunteer Reese Smith spends about an hour each day helping in the kitchen. Matlow and the other workers give her useful jobs, including assisting with produce harvested from the garden.

“She’s been so helpful,” Matlow said.

Kitchen worker Sonny Marshall also helps with the daily work, including dishwashing and other tasks that keep the kitchen running.

Younger students occasionally have opportunities to lend a hand as well. Matlow said second and third graders may spend about 15 minutes in the kitchen completing age-appropriate, meaningful jobs.

“It’s really exciting to get second or third graders who come in here and help with meaningful work,” she said. “They get some stu done.”

For Matlow, having students involved is an enjoyable part of the program.

“We love it,” she said. “I like having kids in here.”

With each harvest, the school garden provides more than fresh ingredients. It gives students an opportunity to try unfamiliar foods, learn practical skills and see how something grown just across the street can become part of their school lunch.