By Delayna Earley
The Island News
Students at Whale Branch Middle School (WBMS) harvested hundreds of bunches of collard greens they grew in a field behind their school on Friday, Nov. 17.
“Our goal out here is to try and get at least 300 [bunches] of collard greens and pass it out to kids in the school,” said WBMS 8th grader Kevin Jenkins.
The harvested collard greens will be going home with the students in hopes of making their way onto their Thanksgiving tables.
The school has encouraged the students and their families to share photos and videos on their social media of their favorite recipes and experiences with the vegetables that they grew.
“Whale Branch Middle School is a STEAM school and so we always try to engage our students through the science, the technology, the engineering,” WBMS Assistant Principal Kyctrell Swinton-Atkins said. “So, they are learning in their classrooms how our gardening is beneficial to them.”
Heritage Community Farm, a nonprofit organization in Northern Beaufort County, identifies underutilized land and aims to return it to productive use in hopes of educating, promoting food security, conservation and historic preservation.
They partnered with Whale Branch Middle and Elementary schools to help teach the students about the importance of agriculture and growing your own food.
The students work hard all school year long to care for and plant fruits and vegetables in the garden that is located on the open space between Whale Branch Middle School and Whale Branch Elementary School.
The garden is an important part not only for the science classes, but it is used in a career cluster course highlighting agricultural employment opportunities.
Delayna Earley formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
