Washburn School Garden

The Washburn School Garden always needs volunteer workers durring the spring, summer and fall. Tasks include weeding, mulching, working on the straw-bale tool shed, watering, and triming plants. A garden staff will be on site to provide help and instructions.

This week: October 15th, 2009 we will be working composted manure into the raised beds to prepare our soil for the spring. 

Why: Get involved with the health of our community and school!  Learn about gardening. Get outside. We need your help. No experience necessary!

Contact: Greta Anderson via email: ganderson@washburn.k12.wi.us, or call (715) 373-6199 x237  for more information.

Washburn Farm to School Program – Burners Without Borders

Burners Without Borders has partnered with the Washburn Farm to School program to provide a storage facility for their ever growing garden.  BWB provided a $500 stimulus package to purchase materials needed for constructing a ‘green design’ garden shed.  Until now there has been no storage space currently located near the garden; having a secure year-round garden shed on-site is needed for accommodating the increasing traffic and demands of the growing garden programs.

This week the door is being installed to keep out the snow!

Pictures of the shed’s progress so far!

On average, July is the wettest month in Washburn with an average of 4.03 inches of precipitation.

The monthly accumulation to-date for July is 0.1 inches.

On average, June brings 3.65 inches of rain. This year we received 1.81 inches in June, a 50% decrease!

Local farms have been feeling the effects of this lack of precipitation. We supplement our garden by providing the equivalent of 1 inch of precipitation once or twice a week by using sprinklers.

Here is a list of the vegetables, fruits and herbs we have growing in the school garden this year

(in no particular order)

sweet corn, rhubarb, 3 sisters (squash, corn and beans growing together), cherry tomatoes, early spinach and lettuce, peppers, various tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, basil, dill, oregano, parsley, mint,  cilantro, beets, radishes, sunflowers, cucumbers, winter squash, pumpkins, garlic, onions, gourds and summer squash, cabbage, broccoli, rutabega, kale, pole beans and snap peas, and kohlrabi. There is also a herb and flower garden that is supposed to attract butterflies.

By my count, we have at least 32 varieties of  plants growing in the garden!!

This is the first post of the Washburn School  Garden. We’ll keep you up to speed on what’s growing, and what’s new in our garden.

We need volunteers!! Weeding, mulching, and work on our new Straw Bale shed. During the summer we work Tuesdays and Thursdays 6:00-8:30pm. If you can help us out, get in touch! washburnschoolgarden@gmail.com or 682 7017.

Stay tuned for updates and pictures…