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‘The fruits of their labor’

Father Marquette Catho­­­lic Academy students harvest, prepare and eat potatoes they planted last spring

Father Marquette Catholic Academy students are shown washing potatoes. At center, is Liam Connors. Others, clockwise from far right are William Niemi, teacher; Laura Ricklard; Logan Curran; Easton Lefebvre; and Jack Posega. Father Marquette Catho­­­lic Academy middle schoolers started the year off by seeing the fruits of their labor from the spring school year. 5th through 8th-grade students spent their science classes on Sept. 9 harvesting, preparing, and eating the potatoes they planted before leaving last spring for summer break.(Photo courtesy of Father Marquette Catholic Academy)

MARQUETTE — Father Marquette Catho­­­lic Academy middle schoolers started the year off by seeing the fruits of their labor from the spring school year. 5th through 8th-grade students spent their science classes on Sept. 9 harvesting, preparing, and eating the potatoes they planted before leaving last spring for summer break.

Middle school students harvested three bushels of potatoes, washed, cut up, and boiled them, made homemade butter from cream, and prepped the basil, parsley, onion, and tomatoes to go with. They enjoyed their hard-earned meal.

Last June, the 5th-grade science/STEM students planted $3.00 worth of seed potatoes in Father Marquette’s new garden beds, purchased from an Excellence in Education grant received last year. That grant money allowed FMCA to purchase the three raised beds that were planted with potatoes, tomatoes, parsley, carrots, swiss chard, kale, onions, cucumbers, zucchini, squash, dill, cilantro, and basil.

As part of the science curriculum and the Laudato Si Club, which is Latin for take care of our common home, students learn horticulture and botany skills, such as crop rotation and organic insect and pest control.

Over the summer, families volunteered their time and tended to the raised beds that housed the potatoes, in addition to other the veggies and flowers planted on FMCA’s grounds.

Potatoes that were planted and harvested by Father Marquette Catholic Academy students are shown. Last June, the 5th-grade science/STEM students planted $3.00 worth of seed potatoes in Father Marquette’s new garden beds, purchased from an Excellence in Education grant received last year. (Photo courtesy of Father Marquette Catholic Academy)

Next year, the FMCA middle school will have four more beds, for a total of seven, thanks to a partnership with Michigan State University Extension and the middle school 4-H gardening club.

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