Students help with annual garden planting

Whitefish Middle School seventh graders last week planted the seeds that will become food for themselves and other Whitefish students this fall.

“Whatever you plant today you will get to harvest in the fall,” Greg Shaffer told the students.

Shaffer, with the Whitefish Lions Club, said the garden produces about 5,000 pounds of vegetables every fall for use in the school lunches.

The Farm to School garden, at the corner of East seventh and Pine streets just south of Whitefish High School, is in its sixth year. The garden is a service project for the Lions Club and in addition to providing food for the schools it also focuses on teaching children about better nutrition through the garden.

The city of Whitefish’s Stumptown Summer Day Camp has one row in the garden that they plant and care for during the summer months.

This year’s garden includes corn, potatoes, brussel sprouts, squash, celery, carrots, onions and beans. There is also fruit trees in the garden.

“We try new things every to see what works best,” said Shaffer. “We plant things that keep well until fall, but this year we planted carrots and celery to be used in the summer backpack program.”

Sponsors of the garden include Glacier Bank, Don K car dealerships, Midway Rental and Western Building Center.