Students harvest, serve food at celebration dinner
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News from Polson Middle School
POLSON — Polson Middle School hosted its second annual Harvest Dinner Oct. 28 to celebrate students who tended the PMS school garden this year, and to enjoy a delicious feast. More than 120 community members, administrators, students, parents, teachers, and local farmers attended the event to support students. The room buzzed with excitement over the incredible spread of food, showcasing the hard work and learning centered around the school garden.
Garden teachers Terry Calahan and Amy Williams have dedicated much of their time and energy to working with and teaching students in the garden. It certainly paid off. This year’s garden produced beautiful pumpkins, (though a few were munched by hungry neighboring cows), zucchinis, tomatoes, potatoes, and more. The students celebrated their produce the best way they knew how by sharing with their community.
The same hands that dug in the soil for purple potatoes and patiently plucked reddening tomatoes then kneaded bread, chopped onions, and roasted pumpkins for the community to eat. Students cooked and baked tirelessly for almost two weeks in preparation for this event. Along the way, they learned about garden maintenance, cooking, baking, science, math, culture, and community building. These skills helped them take ownership of the school garden. They were truly engaged in every aspect. It’s one thing to give students a fresh vegetable to sample. It’s an entirely different lesson to give them seeds to plant, to involve them at every step as they harvest and cook their own beautiful, homegrown produce months later. One student’s father was moved to see his son receive recognition for his hard work in the garden this year and to taste pumpkin pie made from scratch. It was his first homemade pie, from pumpkins he helped grow at school. It was a sweet success.
Community member and parent Dennis Villegas gave the blessing before the feast. Tables of families and friends dug into the Hubbard squash, venison and wild rice stew, pumpkin chili, pumpkin bread, roasted beets, and fry bread. The Harvest Dinner provided an opportunity to share a healthy homegrown meal. Youth and elders alike talked, laughed and connected as community members. It was heartwarming to see students share their hard work with the community and cultivate connections beyond the classroom and the garden.
This fall feast represented the culmination of school wellness efforts across the district. With the support of principals, the Food Service director, the Fresh Fruits and Vegetable program coordinator, garden advocates, local farmers willing to share produce and lead field trips, donations of seeds, plants, and time from staff, students, community members, and many other committed individuals, we are moving toward a healthier school food landscape. Calahan and Williams thank everyone who gave of themselves to ensure a successful evening. If any community members are interested in helping with the school garden please contact Polson Middle School at 406-883-6335, ext. 346 or 327 to volunteer.
