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From Mud to Spud
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October 10, 2022It’s the harvest season, and Butler Catholic School is celebrating a wonderful yield from the school garden!
Building on the knowledge BCS students developed from a special field trip in September to Metrick’s Harvest View Farm in Butler, third graders recently spent a science class outside in the dirt—digging school potatoes!
BCS Director of Development Kathy Dudley, who leads the school Garden Club, said potatoes haven’t been planted in the school garden before.
“This was the first year we added potatoes,” Mrs. Dudley explained. “We decided to include them as something new and exciting for the kids.”
The potatoes were planted in the plot adjacent to the school by volunteer families. Their hard work paid off when students successfully harvested white, pink, and purple fingerling potatoes. Digging the crop by hand helped reinforce what they learned gathering potatoes at Metrick’s.
The venture also gave students an inside look at the work the school Garden Club does. As the club is open to students in third through sixth grade, the class has the opportunity to join as early as this year.
“It was a great introduction to the school garden,” Mrs. Dudley said.
But the adventure didn’t end when the digging did. After gathering the spuds, students cleaned and dried them for the school cafeteria staff to serve during lunch!
Roasted with olive oil and herbs, the potatoes were served across all grades. Students even had the opportunity to see what the potatoes looked like raw versus how they looked after roasting.
“At first, some of the kids were hesitant, especially with the purple ones,” Mrs. Dudley added. “It was great to see them trying new things!”
BCS incorporates school-grown produce whenever possible into school lunches in order to provide students with a unique understanding of food sources. In coming weeks, students will return to the garden to harvest russet, Yukon, red, and white potatoes. We can’t wait to taste their hard work!
