Farmstead fever spreading to public schools

With a Sustainable Jersey Small Grant, the Highland Park public schools have joined the wave of interest in community gardening that has taken root from Highland Park to the White House.

The concept of a network of “edible gardens” was initiated by the People’s Organization for Progress, Central Jersey Chapter (POP-CJ) in December 2008. Since then, individuals and organizations have signed on, including three local houses of worship, the Farmers Solidarity Project, Highland Park Community Food Pantry, the public library’s Green Teens group, and now the public school district.

Although school administrators were interested in participating, they were not in a position to fund the gardens themselves. Sustainable Highland Park, the borough-sponsored working group, submitted a Sustainable Jersey Small Grant proposal, and was one of ten $10,000 winners announced June 22nd at a the statehouse in Trenton.

Sustainable Highland Park’s grant is intended to begin school edible gardens at each of the four Highland Park Schools. The grant proposal also includes a “green collar jobs” component that would pay Highland Park youth to maintain the gardens during the summer.

Historically, Highland Park’s only community gardens were a few plots in Donaldson Park, which has been plagued by floods and deer in recent years. The old municipal landfill area south of Valentine Street has been touted by borough leadership as the future site of an International Community Garden since 2007, but this plan has so far failed to materialize.

POP-CJ decided that the best approach to move quickly in a town with little open space was to start smaller projects all over town, in backyards, on front lawns, and on balconies. Members with yards have offered gardening space to people living in apartments.

Edible Gardens Project also has recently initiated a project with Rutgers Cooperative Extension in Middlesex County to offer teens more opportunities to get involved with environmental efforts and learn about horticulture and alternative energies.

Sustainable Jersey, a municipal certification program, is an initiative of a coalition of New Jersey non-profits, state agencies, colleges, and others. To learn more visit: www.sustainablejersey.com. Membership in the Edible Gardens Project is open to everyone who wants to garden, and the group hopes to expand beyond Highland Park’s borders. More information is available at: www.ediblegardensproject.org.