Last year, School Counselor Sarah Williams was brainstorming ways to provide hands-on learning opportunities for agriculture students at Bluegrass Learning Academy. Her plans became a reality on Wednesday as students planted vegetables that will be ingredients in the school’s inaugural Farm to Table Dinner.
Bluegrass Learning Academy is one of the Christian County Public School System’s alternative schools and consists of high school and middle school students. After collaborating with the Christian County 4-H Office, Williams and extension agents discussed ways to get students hands-on agriculture learning experiences.
Williams says the agents helped her connect with the Christian County Master Gardener’s Association who gifted them supplies to help them grow vegetables. Association member Gary Fromm helped students establish a raised plant bed and plant carrot, tomato, lettuce and green onion seeds.
Every week, the students will tend to the garden and learn more about growing plants through different methods. Bluegrass Learning Academy Career and Technical Education Teacher Dominique McClain teaches multiple classes including agriculture and he says students will also create a hydroponic garden inside to continue growing plants once it gets too cold outdoors.
McClain says the veggies students grow will be used as ingredients in pizzas that will be made later in the semester for the Farm to Table Dinner. McClain says he looks forward to seeing the garden grow and hopes to see more students become involved with maintaining it.
Williams says it was amazing seeing students create the garden and is excited for it to grow. She calls the garden a chance to show the community what their students are capable of and that they are also deserving of diverse learning opportunities.
Williams got the idea for the Farm to Table Dinner after seeing some of the learning activities the Hopkinsville and Christian County High School agriculture departments host for students. Beyond agriculture, Williams says she would like to create more hands-on learning for students, starting with their health science classes.
Students are set to host the Farm to Table Dinner in October and Williams says this year it will only include school personnel, but she hopes to expand it in the future.
