Pine Jog Elementary School's Strawberry Festival 2014

West Palm Beach, Fla.—Pine Jog Elementary School’s Strawberry Festival raises money for their school and garden. The February held event pulls its inspiration from the 1500 hydroponically-grown strawberry plants growing in the 4000-plant school garden located at the back of the property. 

Pine Jog Elementary School's hydroponically grown strawberry treats,
Pine Jog Elementary Strawberry Festival, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

Soil Sisters—Mrs. Laurie Mecca (garden founder) and Mrs. Linda Petuch (science resource and lab teacher) run a booth selling strawberry smoothies, chocolate dipped strawberries, and strawberry topped brownies. All the berries used come from the garden. And all of the money earned goes back into that garden.

Steve Mecca's Green Market, Pine Jog Elementary School
Strawberry Festival, West Palm Beach, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

Mrs. Mecca’s husband Steve also holds a Green Market every year. He puts it together with produce donated by local South Florida farmers. In 2013, the Green Market raised close to $2000 for the school garden.

The garden, started in 2008 and located at the back of the elementary school, is taken care of by all the classes through an after school gardening club called, Our World LEEDers team (OWL). 

Soil Sisters Mrs Petuch and Mrs Laurie Mecca at Pine Jog
Elementary School Strawberry Festival,
West Palm Beach, Fla.
Copyright 2014 by Helen A Lockey

“We teach the children how our produce is better than any other from California,” said Mecca. “It’s fresh off the vine. We sell it in the office & put the money back into the garden.”

Pine Jog Elementary School has been shaping young people to become better stewards of the environment for many years.

“I was aware of the environment before coming here. But this school sparked a passion for the environment in me,” said Tiffany Canate, who was part of the first farm team back in 2008.

In middle school, Canate started a recycling program with the Junior National Honor Society.

She is now in tenth grade in a science and engineering program with ambitions to become a forensic anthropologist or surgeon. “No matter what I become I will always be aware of the environment and do something with it.”

To find out more about Pine Jog Elementary go to http://www.edline.net/pages/pine_jog_elementary_school