Classroom In Bloom is a non-profit organization in the Methow Valley that runs the garden located between the elementary school and Liberty Bell. Each week students visit the garden to learn about the life cycle, pick weeds, help compost, build relationships and harvest produce.

Apples, pears, cherries, plums, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, kiwis, salad mix, tomatoes, chard, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, Japanese black popcorn, parsnips, melon, and fennel are harvested and served from the garden in season. To have food for the winter, carrots, winter squash, onions, garlic, and beets are planted and stored. Culinary herbs and medicinal herbs have plots in the garden, along with many flowers and native plants.

In all, kids help harvest hundreds of pounds of carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, winter squash, and cabbage for the cafeteria.

Garden education is divided into grade-level themes, and each garden class ends with a fresh snack, which is sometimes color-coordinated (the students may eat tomatoes, raspberries, red chard, and beets while learning about the vitamins and minerals in red fruits and vegetables). Lessons also correspond with state standards in science.

For more information, please visit the Classroom In Bloom website →