St. Regis’ Schmidt digs in as new garden club leader
Garden Club Adviser Jamie Schmidt shows St. Regis students Hunter Farris and Shelby Simkins an old rusty wheelbarrow that will be transformed into a strawberry planter with a fresh coat of red paint and some black polka dot seeds. (Amy Quinlivan/Mineral Independent)
Hunter Farris spray paints a wheelbarrow red for the St. Regis School Community Gardens future strawberry planter. (Amy Quinlivan/Mineral Independent)
Springtime is the season for working the ground, tilling the soil, and garden preparations.
Jamie Schmidt knows that this comes long before any seeds or seedlings can be planted. Schmidt who is from Virginia, is the new librarian and sixth-grade science teacher at St. Regis School.
Of the many roles she fills Schmidt has been getting her hands dirty recently as the advisor to the school’s new Garden Club.
Along with cultivating the soil Schmidt also hopes to teach the students civic responsibility. She shared, “My experience has been with school gardens that allow students to learn and give back to their community by promoting healthy choices and sustainability.”
With the help of a mentor, Schmidt helped coordinate a large garden program at her previous school at Green Run Collegiate in Virginia Beach. The school won a large grant for major expansions before she came to Montana.
“It was a major endeavor, and I learned so much through the process. That experience prepared me for the Garden Club lead position here at St. Regis,” explained Schmidt.
This school year Julie Burklund and Amy Cheesman crafted a 21st Century Grant proposal that included the Garden Club for St. Regis. Schmidt stated, “They were in need of a leader, so I applied for the task!”
Taking advantage of the mild spring Schmidt went to work. Several volunteers including her husband Jared, Pastor Morris Hill and his wife Barbara who are neighbors of the school and live a stone’s throw away from the garden, as well as students Hunter Farris and Shelby Simkins.
Opportunities for interaction with students have been limited due to school closures and social distancing measures related to the Coronavirus, but Schmidt has made do.
She said, “I’ve been teaching students necessary steps each time we meet such as planting seeds, transplanting seedlings, weeding and watering.”
In the last month, the old garden shed has been relocated to East end of the school yard where the community garden grounds now sit. The shed roofing was repaired, and new shelves were crafted inside. The garden layout calls for 10 raised beds, two have been assembled and positioned so far. Lumber for the eight remaining beds arrived on Monday from Superior Color and Lumber and work will quickly commence on building the units.
Planning for the garden area required considerations for seasonal success, like the perfect amount of sunlight and not too much shade from existing structures. Raised beds have been filled with compost and soil. Schmidt has remained busy collecting the necessary equipment for a successful garden like rakes, trowels, shovels and wheelbarrows.
The schools existing greenhouse is storing seed starters that will be ready when the risk of freezing passes. Schmidt explained, “I have been told by locals to wait until the end of May to plant outside.”
Once the Garden Club is established and the initial planning stages are completed, St. Regis School hopes to develop a sign in and sign out system for community members to come join in the garden maintenance and enjoy its produce. “As the garden grows, we will work on assigning raised beds to different community members or families if the interest arises,” Schmidt described.
As work progresses and the garden takes shape Schmidt is grateful to be working outdoors.
“My favorite part of gardening is getting my hands in the dirt and building something natural from the Earth. The benefits of a community garden are to promote healthy choices and sustainability, especially to young people.” She added, “The fun part is watching the plants grow and begin to fruit. Seeing the vegetables grow from the flowering parts never ceases to amaze me!”
Anyone with interest in volunteering at the Community Garden, or a desire to have an assigned plot is encouraged to reach out to Schmidt through her school email, schmidtj@stregis.k12.mt.us.
Schmidt envisions implementing a yearly fall and spring harvest festival that mimic a farmer’s market with opportunities to sell the produce and include a variety of business learning experiences.
Right now, people can volunteer whenever needed.
“We’ll be out there often doing work, and the more hands, the better!”
