Politics of Food

Our Rochester Roots School-Community Garden Program is a partnership of POF staff, students, parents, teachers, master gardeners, and community partners who seek to develop a comprehensive outcome-based social, educational, and workforce development training program for youth, using urban agriculture as the vehicle. It is part of a national movement of school-community gardens integrating culture, nutrition, gardening and ecology studies, and community and work force development. Through field trips, workshops, hands-on gardening, and entrepreneurial training, the community assists our Program Coordinator, Jan McDonald, in teaching students about a sustainable food system.

Our school-community Garden Club model has been established at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School #9 in the NE/Upper Falls area of the city of Rochester. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are taught how to grow vegetables, herbs, and flowers using organic gardening and sustainable agriculture methods. Companion planting, crop rotation, leaf composting, vermiculture (worm composting), straw mulching, and the use of cover crops are some of the techniques that are being taught. The students are involved in all aspects of gardening from seed starting to planting, weeding to harvesting, and saving seed to winterizing the garden.

Teachers from School #9 integrate the gardens into their daily lessons using NY State Learning Standards. Teachers are encouraged to participate in our “Adopt a Raised Bed” program and to maintain its growth through sustainable agriculture methods.

The students maintain three gardens year round. The courtyard garden at School #9 contains raised beds that are themed with names like “The Three Sisters” - traditional companion plants of corn, beans, and squash; the “Salsa Garden” which grows, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and basil; and the “Stone Soup” garden with root vegetables and leafy greens. The students have an herb garden, edible and medicinal flower garden, and even a “whatever you want to grow” garden. All vegetables grown here are taken home by the students.

At the corner of Baden Street Recreational Center, attached to the south side of the school, the students grow perennials and sunflowers. Calendula flowers from this garden are harvested, dried, and soaked in oils to release their medicinal qualities. From this solution the students process their calendula-based Petal Power and comfrey-based Green Power lip balm and skin salve. Students currently sell their products at Abundance Cooperative Market or at POF fundraisers. Additional markets are now being sought.

It’s just a short walk from School #9 to the third and largest of the gardens. This garden grows behind the school on land provided to the students by Bethany House. The Bethany House Market Garden produces a diversity of vegetables, including heirloom and Native American varieties. We purchase seeds from local Native American farmer Melissa Jacobs’ Sacred Seed collection, as well as from other organic seed suppliers. In the summer of 2003 we began a partnership with Abundance Cooperative Market to sell produce grown in this garden.

Through attending conferences, workshops, and organic farm tours the students are exposed to other organizations and farmers who enrich their knowledge about the local food system. Field trips to Peacework Organic Farm and Ganondagan, blueberry picking expeditions, and exposure to farm animals round out the program.