What began in May as an ECHO (Exploration in Careers, Hobbies, and Opportunities) course at Morenci Middle & High School has now become a source of organic produce soon to be available to all Morenci residents. Led by Morenci Middle School science electives teacher, Ms. Grace Gierucki, students planned and planted a garden located behind the bus garage on school grounds.
This year’s annual garden is filled with all the favorites such as beans, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and even popcorn! The perennial garden also went in to provide raspberries, strawberries, asparagus, and grapes that will come back each year. The school greenhouse is also currently housing some baby blueberry bushes and a large crop of asparagus to be planted this fall.
Even though most of the garden is planted, there are still a lot of tasks to complete each week. There will be a lot of produce to distribute around town from over 1,000 plants, but volunteers are needed to help with ongoing maintenance in the garden such as weeding and harvesting.
For all the garden news, please follow the Morenci Schools Garden page on Facebook. Ms. Gierucki has organized weekly sign-ups for members of the community to volunteer alongside students in the garden. The typical hours the garden is open for visitors are Monday 7:30-11:30AM and 1:00-4:00PM, Wednesday from 7:30-11:30AM and 4-8PM, and Friday 7:30AM-1:00PM. If you would like to contact Mrs. Gierucki to sign-up, she can be contacted at grace.gierucki@morencibulldogs.org. No experience or supplies are needed to help, the school only asks that a background check form be signed at least one day prior to your first visit. These forms are available on the school website, at the school offices, or by clicking here. Updates and information on the Morenci Schools Community Garden can be found on their Facebook page, with weekly sign-up links shared on Sundays.
The ultimate goal for this partnership is to execute a student-led Downtown Morenci Farmer’s Market in the coming years to provide our community with increased access to locally grown organic produce. Together, with your help, we are well on our way to making that goal a reality for our town. Visit their Facebook page or contact Ms. Gierucki today!
