5 minute read
CERES AG CENTER
BY DALE BUTLER
P.E. teacher Dean Dewing wanted to pass on his love for horticulture to students at Hidahl Elementary so he decided to create a school garden. With assistance from longtime Central Valley High School agriculture teacher Ken Moncrief, Dewing’s idea became a reality this past school year. “Initially, I called Ken to see if he could help us start a little one on campus,” Dewing said. “He opened the high-school garden. He gave us the keys to the kingdom so to speak. We had everything we needed to start gardening.” The high-school garden is located at the Ceres Ag Center, which sits on 6.5 acres of land behind the elementary school. “It was the perfect time for them to be able to use the farm,” Moncrief said. “All of the high school kids weren’t able to do anything out there because of COVID. They did all of our seed planting and greenhouse work until the school district opened for secondary (7-12) students. It was so exciting to see the kids pick stuff they’d take home in bags. It was a lot of fun.” “It’s been a great experience for the students,” Dewing said. “We got a lot of support from Ken and our principal (Mrs. Adams). I’m going to do everything in my power to keep the garden going. It’s highly beneficial for the kids. They get to see the whole process from seed to table.”
More than 100 Hidahl students in grades 4-6 have been spending parts of their Friday mornings at the Ceres Ag Center this school year.
Dewing escorts the first of his three classes to the student garden at 8:20 a.m. The last class takes the short walk back to campus at 11:10 a.m.
“We’re transitioning to our winter garden,” he said. We have two rows (for crops) that are 70 yards long and we have eight raised beds. We haven’t put anything in the ground yet. We’re going to plant garlic, onions, leeks, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, spinach, snow peas and beets.”
The kids are excited about the process,” he added. “They’re very interested in everything. They’re good workers. They care.”
More than 75 Hidahl students in grades 4-6 spent parts of their instructional days at the Ceres Ag Center during the 2020-21 school year.
When Ceres Unified elementary schools reopened for full-time inperson learning in April, Hidahl’s students gardened between 8:20 a.m. and 10:50 a.m. on Wednesdays. They utilized the farm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 12:30-2 p.m., during distance learning. Moncrief provided everything students needed to farm, including seeds, garden boxes and tools. They planted lettuce, kale, spinach, fennel and snow pea seeds. They harvested lettuce, kale and spinach.
“It was a bright spot during COVID,” Dewing said. “The kids were excited to be outside doing something new. The whole experience was uplifting. Many of the students are interested in gardening now.” “Kids don’t learn by sitting and hearing about it,” Moncrief said. “They need to do it. Hands-on experience is vital.” “We split up assignments,” Dewing said. “Some students would plant. Some students would weed. Some students would transplant plants into pots in the greenhouse. They got to see how the whole process worked. The students were little sponges. They absorbed a lot about gardening. That was my goal.”
Hidahl Elementary plans to start a garden club in the near future.
“I’d like to set up a stand in front of Hidahl where parents can buy whatever is in season at that moment,” Dewing said. “The students will run it. I will be there for support.”
“I’ve encouraged the students to start their own gardens at home if they have room,” he added.
Spearheaded by Moncrief, Ceres Unified broke ground on the Ceres Ag Center construction project in 2009-10. The district provided 6.5 acres of land, which had a value of $100,000 at the time of donation, for the farm and assistance in financing for a tractor that cost $25,000. Moncrief installed shingles on the 3,000-square foot instructional/processing/storage building. “After five years, the state provided opportunities for grants,” Moncrief said. Expansion included adding a swine barn, a large livestock building and a greenhouse. The farm has fruit trees, table grapes, berry patches and row crops. “We’ve spent close to $2 million in state grants to build livestock facilities and upgrade our plant facilities,” Moncrief said. “For a lot of our students, this is their first experience with farming or livestock,” said Beth Jimenez, communications specialist for Ceres Unified. “It really exposes them to possible career pathways that they might not otherwise have encountered.” Future Farmers of America (FFA) members from Central Valley and Ceres High raise livestock for the Stanislaus County Fair at the Ceres Ag Center. Students are also in charge of planting, tending and harvesting row crops, fruits and vegetables for Ceres Unified’s Child Nutrition Department. The district purchased $23,000 worth of produce from the Ceres Ag Center this past year. “The key to our success is the relationship we have with the school district,” Moncrief said. “They primarily buy our grapes, peaches, plums and pluots. They serve it for lunch.” “That’s our funding source for our day-to-day cost,” he added.
“We walked into this golden opportunity,” Dewing stated. “We have access to everything. Our goal is to keep it (the student garden) running.”
