We want to close the gap in the ability to access fresh food. Our garden is our main community service project. We donate at least 60% of our harvest to a marginalized group in Racine. They use the food to cook fresh meals for the homeless. We also use food to explore healthy eating and smart food choices. This project is multi-faceted for our organization SAFE Haven of Racine. We use this garden in so many ways to help increase our organization impact to the people we serve.
We are planning to plant an edible garden. It will consist of our campers planning, planting, and maintaining the garden. Our daycare students also use the garden for several educational lessons. We donate at least 60% of our harvest to different organizations in Racine that serve marginalized groups.
Overall, the Camp Explore garden program went well. Campers actively engaged in the garden, becoming environmental stewards by getting their hands dirty and working hard to help their community. This experience allowed them to connect with nature and develop a deeper appreciation for sustainability and agriculture. This summer presented challenges with our soil, which was difficult to keep damp and appeared to have a high clay content. These conditions impacted plant production, resulting in slightly smaller yields per plant compared to previous years. However, because we planted more crops overall, we ended up producing more total harvest than last year. Our younger participants also had the chance to immerse themselves in nature, contributing to the garden while learning about their environment in a fun and meaningful way. Despite the challenges, the program’s outcomes were positive, and we look forward to building on this year’s experience for even greater success in the future.
Through this project, we learned the importance of understanding and managing soil quality to support healthy plant growth. The high clay content in our soil and challenges keeping it damp impacted individual plant production. Moving forward, we plan to explore soil amendments and moisture retention strategies to improve yields. We also learned that increasing the number of plants can offset lower production per plant, as this year’s larger crop variety allowed us to harvest more overall, despite the soil challenges. Additionally, we saw firsthand how impactful hands-on experiences are for fostering environmental stewardship. Campers of all ages, including our youngest participants, connected with nature and developed a sense of responsibility for their community by working in the garden. This project reinforced the value of adaptability and continuous learning in gardening and program development, lessons we will carry forward into future seasons.
If we did this again, we would allocate more planned time for weeding and watering to ensure better care of the garden throughout the season. Additionally, we would rethink the placement of specific plants, adjusting where they are planted to optimize growth conditions. Another significant change would be to mix soil amendments thoroughly before planting rather than adding a layer on top. This approach would improve soil consistency and help address the challenges we faced with clay-heavy dirt and moisture retention. These adjustments would help create a healthier growing environment and increase our yields.
My favorite part was seeing the kids' faces light up as they watched the plants grow and transform throughout the season. Their excitement and wonder were contagious and reminded us all of the magic of nature. Another highlight was teaching them how to can the produce they helped grow. Watching them take pride in preserving the fruits of their labor was incredibly rewarding and a true testament to the skills and confidence they gained through the project.
We had 100% participation between our two summer programs.
