Hoophouse for the Hungry - Students Work Together to Make Fresh Food a Reality

Filling the raised beds with topsoil

Students from Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School and Rappahannock Public Schools' Farm-To-Table program worked together last week to move a mountain of topsoil and gravel into the Hoophouse for the Hungry.

Connecting the hoops

The Hoophouse will be used to grow fresh, nutritious, produce for Rappahannock Food Pantry clients during colder months of the year.  It will also be used to grow plant starts in the spring so local residents will be able to start their own gardens.

Raking the topsoil smooth

The Hoophouse for the Hungry is a wonderful intergenerational community project bringing together middle school students; Master Gardeners; professional builders, landscapers, gardeners and chefs; and community volunteers.

Hoophouse for the Hungry

Montessori Farm School students will be able to grow food for those who need it most during the winter months.

Thanks to a generous donation from a Rappahannock citizen, Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School is working with Plant-A-Row for the Hungry and the Rappahannock Food Bank to move a 70 foot long hoophouse to the Farm School.

The students will grow cold-hardy vegetables during the winter months. These will be donated to the Food Pantry so those in need will have access to fresh produce year-round. They will also be able to start vegetable plants in the spring that will help Food Bank patrons grow their own gardens.

Pictured here, the students take the first step - measuring the dimensions of the greenhouse in order to plan for the space and order new plastic covering.

Digging out from the snowstorm

Good will abounded as students, parents, teachers, and neighbors came back to school on the first day of winter vacation to help dig paths to the animals.

Two feet of snow fell during the weekend before Christmas 2009 in the biggest December snow storm ever in Flint Hill, Virginia.

Volunteers dug paths to the pigs, sheep, and chickens, and made sure all were warm and had access to fresh water and food.

It was a wonderful demonstration of the dedication of the Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School Community.

Holidays are a time for appreciating and enjoying family, and at Mountain Laurel Montessori we really value ours.