QUAPAW, OK (April 4, 2021) – The O-Gah-Pah Learning Center Management in cooperation with the Quapaw Nation Food Sovereignty Department received a 2021 Youth Gardening Grant sponsored by kidsgardening.org. With over 800 applicants the Quapaw Nation was one of the 30 chosen to receive this grant. The grant included gardening supplies, seeds, educational learning materials, and $250 for any additional gardening items needed.
The goal for this project is to teach children at an early age about food sustainability through gardening as well as promote healthy food choices for the children. To teach and engage these children in gardening is very important, as many children these days have no idea how food is grown or where their food comes from. By giving the kids a hands-on learning experience, we hope that they will learn the basic skills needed for gardening at home and learn to be self-sustainable when it comes to growing their own fruits and vegetables.
The Quapaw Nation Food Sovereignty Department and Quapaw Nation Maintenance Department made the children raised garden beds, bean teepees and prepared the beds with soil so the children could start right away with planting. The children have already been busy in their garden. So far, they have planted strawberries, tarragon, parsley, and cilantro in their raised beds. Soon they will be leaning about seed starting and will be starting their own plants from seeds in the classroom. The kids are so excited to see what they can learn about the garden and can’t wait to watch it grow.
The O-Gah-Pah Learning Center and The Quapaw Nation Food Sovereignty Department and would like to thank Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company for the donation of additional seeds and J-M Farms for the donation of mushroom compost.
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