Logistical tips — raised bed gardening
Bed height: Raised beds can be any height. Short raised beds (6–12 inches tall) incorporate native soil and require smaller amounts of both imported soil and construction materials (lumber, cinder block, etc.) than taller raised beds. Taller beds (12–24 inches tall) offer the opportunity to grow food evenly over paved surfaces and/or contaminated soil, and can be designed to be wheelchair-accessible.
Bed size: At their widest, raised beds should not exceed about 24 inches from each accessible side, as a comfortable reach for an adult gardener is about 24 inches. For example, a bed accessible from both sides could be 48 inches wide, with no limit on the length. For gardens whose primary users will be smaller children, the width of the beds should be smaller.
Soil type: Raised beds should be filled with a mix of topsoil and compost to maintain both soil structure and fertility. If the underlying soil is contaminated, place a non-permeable barrier on the ground before filling the bed. Add a small amount of compost (1–2 inches across the bed) each year to help maintain fertility.
Mulch: As described in the Erosion Table activity, mulching is a valuable agricultural practice, even at a small scale. Use straw mulch to reduce weed growth and water loss.
Water: In general, the smaller the bed, the faster it will dry out. Keep a close eye on raised beds, especially during hot, dry weather.
blended their mixes, researched food labeling requirements, and created packaging, ultimately producing a fully-realized prototype. They also wrote marketing copy, drafted slogans, and even created logos. Because of state regulations around commercial food production and sales, the students did not sell their products, but they did take them home to share with their families. Throughout this project, the students’ work was integrated
with ongoing conversations and activities about many facets of sustainable food production, such as the distance that food travels to get to our plates and the benefits and drawbacks of localized and seasonal agriculture; different soil fertility management techniques, including chemical, livestock-based, and organic options; and the capacity of different biomes and ecosystems to support agriculture, and how these factors have shaped human migration, settlement, and modern agri- culture patterns. Each of these topics was explored with the spice-blend project as the starting point, which offered oppor- tunities to address an array of NGSS standards in a context in which the students were already engaged and invested. This project can be adjusted in countless ways to fit many
educational contexts and most regions’ growing seasons, and the cross-curricular connections are limitless. Students could use any combination of growing systems for compar- ative purposes, or they could use just one growing system. The project could include other shelf-stable processed foods, such as pickles, preserves, or dried goods. It could incorpo- rate a comparison between production and distribution of shelf-stable food versus fresh food, and the implications of those markets for farmers, for processors, and for consumers. Students could apply mathematics skills to assess costs, set prices, identify break-even points, and explore scaling. The project could also serve as a starting point for research about the history and impact of the global spice trade, about differ- ent cultural preferences and values, or about the impacts of climate change on small-scale food production. All of these concepts and more involve the garden and value-added food production as an integrating context, creating dynamic and relevant ways for students to engage with academic content year-round. Using a garden as the starting point for curriculum devel-
opment offers an incredible opportunity for creative, inte- grated program design that always maintains a tangible and direct connection to students’ lives. Whether working with a short, single activity or crafting a year-long multi-disci- plinary project, sustainable food production remains a timely and meaningful integrating context for learners of all ages and across most subjects.
Tara Laidlaw has worked at the intersection of formal and informal education for over 10 years, addressing education frameworks in meaningful ways, using farms, forests, historic estates, and more as her “classrooms.” She holds a BA from Stanford University and an MAEd with a focus in Natural Sci- ence and Environmental Education from Hamline University.
Page 18
Green Teacher 119
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
