Highlands students get farm-to-table lesson from Fawn's Blackberry Meadows

Farmer Greg Boulos asked first graders in the Highlands School District how many of them liked spinach and was surprised to see 50 hands shoot into the air.

Boulos, owner of Blackberry Meadows Farm in Fawn, brought his farm-to-table presentation to the students Tuesday to promote sustainability and raise awareness that healthy food can be delicious.

“They’re thrilled when they learn they can grow their own food at home,” Boulos said.

The event was paid through a state grant awarded for farm exposure and hands-on gardening activities. The $11,000 grant paid for “Digging Deeper” projects to be implemented for all ages.

Stacey Waffensmith, district food service director, said students were eager to get their hands dirty.

“We want to show them that growing their own food is sustainable and they can do it right in their own home,” she said.

“With grocery prices being so expensive, this can help cut costs. And, you don’t have to worry about environmental impacts.”

Gardening provides improved nutrition, connections to the Earth and a boost to physical activity, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Growing your own fruits and vegetables also can decrease food struggles plaguing more than 142,000 people in Allegheny County.

One in nine people in the county lives with hunger, according to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Lauryn Blackwell, 6, said she was excited to plant her first vegetable.

“I like spinach,” she said. “I eat it at home all the time.”

Students on Tuesday also planted Dragon’s Tongue, a purple- and cream-colored bean known for its nutty taste.

If properly cared for, Boulos said, the beans would grow 2 feet and be ready to eat by summer.

He demonstrated for the students how to use their finger to “dibble” a small hole in the soil and plant their seeds. He followed up with a lesson on patting down the dirt, watering and proper sunlight.

Amelia Wise, 7, said her family has a large garden at home, and she plans to get more hands-on this summer.

“I water it already,” she said. “I might put my bean seed there and watch it grow.”