Peebles High School FFA members along with GE volunteers recently combined efforts to improve the school garden. (Provided photo)
By Ashley McCarty
People’s Defender
The Peebles High School FFA along with the staff of General Electric Aviation Division (GE) in Peebles, Ohio, has worked diligently to revamp and add additional infrastructure to their school garden.
It was through the grant work of Coordinator Debbie Ryan of the Adams County Creating Healthy Communities Program that the garden was first developed in 2016.
“This year, we are helping again by funding brand new, sustainable, recycled plastic raised garden beds, to replace all of the earlywood garden beds. The neat thing about this garden is that it is not only teaching students how to help sustain the food supply but the foods harvested from the garden are used in the school cafeteria,” said Ryan.
For projects like this, Ryan usually calls on the staff of GE, who donate numberable hours of volunteer work to the county. On May 7, 12 GE volunteers and 10 Peebles FFA students completed the list of tasks assigned by Vocational Agriculture Instructor Becky Monton.
Along with replacing the 12 garden beds, two compost bins were built, four strawberry trellises built and installed, posts for two grape arbors were places, sod was torn out and railroad ties places around the borders of the beds, among other things. Ten of the old beds were donated to the Adams County Shelter for the Homeless.
The same group would work on May 14, starting at 7:30 a.m., finishing up shoveling stone, laying mulch, completing the two grape arbors, and other jobs.
“These folks worked hard last Friday, and those 10 kids were awesome. They were empowered by their instructor, Mrs. [Rebecca] Minton, to be a part of the planning, development and installation process. The critical thinking skills involved in planning and executing these efforts were nothing short of inspirational. They encountered a few stumbling blocks during all of the work on Friday, and they dug right in, assessing whatever it was, working together to come up with a solution and then carrying out the plan to complete the job. It was truly inspiring. Mrs. Minton is teaching these students to be critical thinkers and workers,” said Ryan.
The students were confident team players alongside those GE volunteers, most of whom they had never met.
“When I left there on Friday, I made the comment that these 10 kids worked with 12 professionals from one of the largest employers in Adams County, and showed them exactly what kind of employee they would make. Sometimes, and especially during this past year, it’s been more difficult to see the impact that you make with your work — at least it has been for me — and I left there Friday knowing why I keep doing what I’m doing! It was because of those kids and the 12 GE volunteers, many of whom don’t even live in our county, and the impact that was made,” said Ryan.
Ryan commended Minton for the outstanding job she has done and continues to do with her students.
“She is making a difference in their lives, even though they may not realize it yet! It was exciting to see their enthusiasm for this job. Not one time did any of them complain about a task they were directed to do. She empowered them in so many ways, and they did not only respond, they knocked it out of the park,” said Ryan.
