Photo credit: Lacey Williams

Sixth-grade students at Gordonsville Elementary School in Smith County are busy at work on their fall garden. With the help of their teacher, Farm Bureau member Lacey Williams, and a donation from the Smith County Farm Bureau, students started the fall and spring garden during the 2021-22 school year. Their first harvest went on to be served in the school cafeteria as part of Gordonsville Elementary’s Farm-to-Table program, providing students with fresh, healthy food they grew themselves right in the school’s backyard.

See more: Students at Chattanooga’s Urban Schools Are Getting Hands-On Ag Education

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In addition to growing vegetables, students are also beginning work on a butterfly garden this fall, researching the best types of plants to grow to attract pollinators. The garden will eventually serve the third graders during their monarch butterfly study as they watch caterpillars become butterflies, giving the students an ideal habitat for releasing their butterflies in the spring.

To learn more about the students’ work and progress in the garden, visit the Gordonsville Elementary School Facebook page.