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Liberty-Perry School students of all ages have found a tasty and healthy common bond.

Two years ago, a few Perry Elementary School staff members planted a garden of pumpkins. From there, the garden has done nothing but expand with cherry tomatoes, peppers, corn and onions being added.

If the school's custodian Eric Elenburg has anything to say about it, the list of veggies may well become even longer.

More than pumpkins

Even though Elenburg does not like to boast openly about his contributions to the garden, his fellow staff members are eager to do the bragging on his behalf. They say it was Elenburg who decided to move the garden beyond its pumpkin roots.

"I like to see the kids smile because some of those kids, you talk about corn and stuff, and I think they just think it comes from Wal-Mart and stuff like that," Elenburg said. "They actually get to see where it comes from."

According to Elenburg, the kindergarteners and first graders who make up the school's student body spend time in the garden hoeing, as well as shucking corn.

Elenburg spent summer weekends working in the garden to having vegetables ready for the beginning of the school year, but Elenburg said he didn't mind. In fact, he enjoyed it because of what he knew the end result would be.

According to the school's assistant principal Bonnie Coffman some of the corn matured before the school year began. They were able to sell it for $70, which will be spent on more seeds and other supplies, Coffman said. She added that the school has also received donations of money and supplies from Reynolds Farm Equipment, as well as local farmers.

Getting some green for a greenhouse

As the garden project continued to develop, Coffman saw a way for Perry Elementary and Wapahani High School students to share the experience. Coffman found an ally at Wapahani, biology teacher Vici Gassaway. Gassaway had been working on obtaining the necessary funds for a greenhouse to be used as part of her classes. The high school greenhouse and the elementary school garden seemed like a natural match.

Gassaway received $19,000 of the needed $23,000 through a combination of school board funds, a grant from Lowes and donations from area businesses and non-profit organizations. She received the remaining $4,000 through a Farm Bureau loan. The greenhouse has been delivered, and it will be put together this Thursday. Gassaway said the fact that so many people chipped in to pay for the greenhouse is meaningful.

"It's a local effort, you know? That's what I think is great about this is that most of the money has come from people right here in Delaware County," Gassaway said. "You know, they really want to see this project up and going for these children."

Over the last couple of years, Gassaway's students have been to Perry Elementary on several occasions to teach the youngsters what they learned in their high school class about how seeds germinate and become full-fledged plants. She remarked that the two age groups found a connection and a common interest in gardening.

We want to eat it

Brenda Layne, who works for Perry Elementary's food services, has been finding ways to incorporate the vegetables into school lunches. She credits the garden for an increased enjoyment of veggies among the young students.

"Two weeks ago, if I had put that on their tray, they wouldn't have eaten it," Layne said. "But last week when they went out and picked it themselves, they were anxious, they were anxious to try it."

One recurring theme between Coffman, Elenburg and Layne, is the belief that the students are gaining a greater appreciation for the hard work that is required to bring food to their plates.

"A lot of our kids are rural kids, and they live in the country," Someone said. "There are farms around them, but they don't actually farm themselves, so they don't get that opportunity to see that soybean comes out from a plant and how it's used."

Eventually the two schools hope to have an ongoing partnership where growing food is concerned. Some of the veggies from the elementary school garden will likely be kept in the high school greenhouse. Both schools hope to often be able to enjoy the "fruits" of their labor.

Gassaway commented that in these tough economic times, this project could lessen food-associated costs. However, members of both schools believe the garden project will teach their students invaluable lessons about plant growth, food production, and even camaraderie, lessons which may well be much harder to learn while confined to a classroom and a textbook.