The Hershey High School Garden Club harvested 77 pounds of vegetables from their first meeting of the year on August 30.
During the meeting, the club planted multiple species of vegetables, such as lettuce. 15 people helped out with harvesting summer vegetables. The produce included a mix of tomatoes, cucumbers, yellow and Indian zucchini, basil, bell peppers, potatoes, and squash.
Additionally, the club harvested over 500 pounds of produce over the summer. Club members came twice a week to harvest and maintain the garden by weeding and watering the vegetables.
“To keep the plants alive, we need to water them, and if they are falling over, we tie them to a stake to keep them away from bugs in the ground,” Club President Claire Li said.
The Garden Club donates to Cocoa Packs, a Hershey-based food drive. Cocoa Packs supports families in Derry Township who can’t afford to buy their own groceries. By donating vegetables, it ensures that all families in the community have enough food.
In addition to helping people get food, the garden allows insects to stay full as well. Bees and monarch butterflies pollinate the garden, which helps it grow more produce. Certain garden plants, such as milkweed, are specifically added to aid pollination.
The overripe produce and weeds will be added to a compost pile. They are chopped up so that the weeds will be less likely to infest the garden. After the plants are composted, they will be used to fertilize the plants.
“All the plants will be used in some way,” Club Vice President Kamalini Nagarajan said.
For the fall, the Garden Club plans to plant more lettuce, spinach, broccoli, and pumpkins, since all of these plants are easily survivable in cold weather.
Since the Garden Club operates throughout the entire year, students can choose to volunteer at any time by taking care of the garden or harvesting. Hours from volunteering can also be used as service hours for the National Honor Society.
“There are no requirements for joining — both experienced and new gardeners can be part of the club,” Li said.
Members interested in joining the Garden Club can attend club meetings on Wednesdays or join the Remind by texting @2223garden to 81010.
