May 6, 2009

Governor, First Lady break ground on vegetable garden at Woodburn

Food harvested from garden will be donated to area food banks

DOVER  – Governor Jack Markell and First Lady Carla Markell and joined students and teachers from Dover High School to break ground for a garden at Woodburn, the official residence of Delaware governors.  

The garden is an FFA project designed to help young people understand where their food comes from and how to grow their food.  As the project progresses the students will learn botany and the science of crop production.  Food harvested from the garden will be used at Woodburn functions and sent to food banks and other non-profit organizations.

“This garden will help students learn important lessons about agriculture and about the importance of giving back to the community,” Gov. Markell said.

Secretary Ed Kee said, “I have really enjoyed putting my teaching hat on again today.  During my 30 years at the University of Delaware, I derived great pleasure from working with students and watching many of them choose agricultural careers.  One of the priorities in the Department of Agriculture is to support agricultural education for all students in Delaware in every grade. Projects like this will certainly help us infuse agriculture into our classrooms.”

Members of Delaware’s FFA, including students and teachers at Towne Point Elementary School and the Murphy School, as well as the Dover High students and teachers, will maintain the garden.

“The Dover High School FFA is really excited about this chance to work with younger students to help them understand how to grow food and what agriculture is all about,” said Zachary Lapore, a plant science student. “We hope that many of them will decide to join the FFA when they reach high school and take the opportunity to "pass it forward" - to help students who come after them.  They might not want to have a career in agriculture itself, but they will become better prepared to vote on critical issues that affect our food supply and land use in the future."