I recently met a remarkable mom over at Noddin Elementary in San Jose. From what I already knew, the project I was coming to see would take some serious determination. When I finally met Kelly Masini, I just knew the right person was on the job.
Kelly Masini by some recently-planted garden beds at Noddin Elementary
As a former Santa Clara County Master Gardener, member of the local Wellness Committee, a background in high-tech marketing, and the mother of two, she has all the right tools. She knew about the Plant A Row program through Master Gardeners – and when inspiration struck, she knew what to do.
Re-energizing a group of decade-old raised garden beds was first on the list. Next, a grant from the City of San Jose transformed an under-utilized area by the modular classrooms with 5 new raised beds, bringing the total to 11.
Worm Composting Bins
The “Green Team” is a group of moms who teach the kids about ways we can have a less harmful impact on the environment, and they head up the composting initiative. Check out the worm bins by the kindergarten classes! The campus common areas sport compost cans next to trash and recycling, providing the worms with plenty of scraps. The compost generated will be used in the garden beds.
This past May, Kelly organized a Noddin team composed of teachers, students, and their families to commit to planting over 400 vegetables and shepherding them through to harvest in September. With a cash donation from the PTA and plants donated by Summerwinds Nursery on Almaden and Ace Hardware on Los Gatos Boulevard, the ball was rolling.
The kids get their hands in the dirt! (How long will that coat stay white?)
May 19th was planting day. There were so many donated start-ups that 80 went to home gardens, pledged to the same purpose as the rest of the plantings on campus: to feed the hungry through Second Harvest!
That’s right – all of the produce grown at Noddin Elementary will be donated to the Food Bank. I was so inspired when I toured the gardens, seeing the young corn and other plants in the ground and thinking of the tiny hands that would tend it. What an amazing opportunity these children have at Noddin. Not only the educational aspect of growing food, but the opportunity to serve those less fortunate in their community through such a gift.
We will be following their progress, so stay tuned!
Please check out and “like” the Noddin Plant A Row Facebook page.
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