Last weekend, volunteers spent two hours working in the Lakeridge Elementary garden, which teaches students how to grow healthy and sustainable food.

Island resident Nancy Weil, who runs the King County Green Schools program for the Mercer Island School District, said they “harvested an amazing amount” of food, which she will bring to Mercer Island Youth and Family Services (MIYFS) Food Pantry.

“I am so proud and grateful to all of the students and families that have worked so hard making this happen,” she wrote in an email to the Reporter. “Keep it up!”

Weil created the green team at Lakeridge in 2009 to support sustainability at the school. Under the umbrella of the green team, a garden initiative was started by parents who wanted to create a formal learning garden. Then, a Garden Club was formed to get the kids involved.

The garden has 17 beds, with 25 families participating, and has grown the following: rainbow carrots, striped beets, six types of lettuce, three types of kale, six types of tomatoes, three types of potatoes (sweet, russet and red bliss), broccoli, beans (bush and pole), snap peas, shelling peas, strawberries, celery, scallions, leeks, onions, cucumber, basil, cilantro, parsley, mint, rosemary, thyme, sage, oregano, tarragon, dill, pumpkins, cabbage, Swiss chard, bell peppers, mustard greens, pak choi, dahlias, daisies, snap dragons, peonies and more.

The club made its first donation to MIYFS last summer.

See www.mercerislandschools.org for more.

An after school club at Lakeridge teaches students about gardening, cooking, sustainable farming and local food. Photo courtesy of Nancy Weil

The garden has more than a dozen beds and many varieties of plants and vegetables. Photo courtesy of Nancy Weil