Westfield Celebrates Earth Week, Plants Community Garden for Food Pantry

As a way to celebrate Earth Week and help the Lake in the Hills-Algonquin Food Pantry, Westfield Community School will be unveiling a community vegetable garden later this week.

A Community Unit School District 300 press release provided the following account of the vegetable garden and other Earth Week events:

Weather permitting, community members and the press are invited to a garden dedication ceremony at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, when students will plant vegetables into the ground that they have nurtured indoors over the past few weeks.

Other Earth Week activities at Westfield will include: 

• Student Interactive Stations - There will be over 30 interactive stations on topics such as oil spills, digging for coal, alternative energy, recycling, upcycling, and more. Where: multipurpose room, room 115 and room 102. When: 8:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. Monday through Friday (April 25-29), and 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday (April 28).
• The Environmental Show - Third graders will perform an environment-themed musical. The public is welcome. Where: the school stage. When: 7 p.m. on Thursday (April 28)

Led by teacher Michelle Soland, the garden project was developed as Westfield parents, teachers, village leaders, business owners, and community members collaborated on a project that would achieve these goals:

• connect students to their environment,
• raise nutrition awareness,
• help students learn how food is grown, and
• make them aware of hunger issues in their own community.

 The garden will be maintained completely organically.  No chemical pesticides or fertilizers will be used on the garden.  

Four 4' x 8' raised beds are being installed in the garden.   Each elementary school grade at Westfield is being assigned the responsibility for a particular bed.  The younger grades will team up with older grades.  The middle school will be involved by keeping care of the garden on a volunteer basis.

While many of the vegetables will not be ready to harvest until after school is out in late May, Westfield would like for service groups and scouting groups to help care for the garden over the summer.  

"We are hoping that by actively participating in growing food literally in their own backyard, Westfield students will learn the benefits of fresh food and the satisfaction of giving back to their community," said Assistant Principal Angela Reincke.

Westfield is located at 2100 Sleepy Hollow Road in Algonquin.  Time, labor and materials for the garden have been donated or discounted by the following: 

• Michelle Soland - third grade teacher
• Teles Landscaping -  Teles Contrares, head custodian
• Bernardi Landscape - Nancy Zettler, parent
• Platt Hill Nursery
• Home Depot of Algonquin (Randall Road location)
• Home State Bank
• Algonquin Garden Club