Washington Elementary School Offers Food-Bearing Container Gardens During Meal Distribution

Large pots with food-bearing plants will be available for families to take home on Wednesday, April 1, from Catlin Elementary in Kelso, Wash. During the regularly scheduled meal distribution, Lower Columbia School Gardens will bring 25 pots, most with starts of kale, five other lettuces, and radishes; and some with snap peas climbing up a trellis. A sheet on how to care for them will also be available.

“Times are challenging right now, and even if you don’t have a yard, this is food you can grow in a container,” said Ian Thompson, director of Lower Columbia School Gardens. “It won’t feed a family for a year, by any stretch, but there’s learning around this and it gives the kids something to care for while they’re staying home and staying healthy.”

Mindful of helping to slow the spread of COVID-19, the pots were planted last week and not touched since, so they should be virus-free. There will be a portable hand washing station on the back of the truck for people to use, as well.

“It breaks our hearts that kids aren’t able to be out in the school gardens right now,” said Thompson.

“It’s important to us to get a little bit of the gardens to the kids.”

More food-bearing pots will be brought to Wallace Elementary School in Kelso next Wednesday (April 8), also during meal distribution.

“We love our partnership with Lower Columbia School Gardens,” said Mary Beth Tack, superintendent of Kelso School District. “and we’re very thankful for this wonderfully caring act in a time where so many are experiencing need.”