By Chelsea Trout
Chelsea Trout is a high school biology teacher for the Okanogan School District. She is a board member for E3 and is on the communications committee.
Bumblebee Haven Garden is situated on Okanogan School District property in rural, North Central Washington. It was started a few years ago by a now retired teacher, indigenous tribe members, and the local Conservation District. The garden provides K-12 students access to learn about vermiculture (growing soil from compost from worms), tending to land, and growing food alongside native plants on indigenous land.
The garden was once a meeting place for the peoples of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville, which encompasses several different tribes. Since starting the garden, teachers, students, and community members nurture soil to create windrows of tomatoes, potatoes, squash, and more, along with native plants for pollinators. Soil is amended in windrows via vermicomposting in order to minimize the disturbance of the soil where many tribal artifacts have been found. Each Tuesday during summer and harvest season, community members of all ages meet to harvest and work in the windrows. Some take a bit of food home, but most of the harvested food is donated to the Okanogan Food Bank.
Through the partnership with the local food bank, about 1,200 pounds of fresh food was offered to our rural community last year. Sometimes, over 90 pounds of food is harvested and donated in one day! This opportunity offers people access to fresh, local food. Additionally, each fall, children come with their families and choose a pumpkin. Many of these students have been to the garden with their teachers and classmates.
The community has really taken ownership over keeping and growing this garden. Local farmers and other landowners drop off manure, leaves, and other compostable materials that are later amended into soil. The garden is proof that if something is nurtured, it can be a gift that can keep on giving, even in an indirect monetary form. It offers us a reminder, how have you given back to your community recently?