The Seeds to Service class at Gillett Elementary took a big step toward its community garden installation Thursday as it partnered with Agsource Laboratories of Bonduel to learn about soil.
Chris Clark of AgSource shared information with the 30 students in the weekly, after-school Seeds to Service class.
The students learned what plants and people need to survive and how all of those healthy food nutrients come from the soil. Next, they learned the proper soil sampling steps and then worked together to collect soil from the planned garden site.
Finally, students did a mock soil test to determine the different “nutrients” present in their M&M candy bags. Each colored candy represented one of the important soil nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and pH. This activity emphasized the importance of regular soil tests to know what nutrients are present in the soil.
AgSource Laboratories provided each of the students and teachers with soil sampling kits to take garden/lawn soil samples at home. The presentation and hands-on activities will help the participants make more sense of the soil lab results from the Gillett community garden soil.
Those interested in helping with the garden may contact Sara Peterson, sarampeterson@gmail.com, or Michele DeBauch,mdebauch@gillett.k12.wi.us.
To learn more about soil testing gardens, visit the AgSource Laboratories website, agsource.crinet.com/page311/LawnAndGardenSoilTests.
Individuals may drop off or mail samples to AgSource Laboratories, 106 N. Cecil St., Bonduel, WI 54107.
Soil test forms are available at documents.crinet.com/AgSource-Cooperative-Services/Locations/SoilDoc-v3-2012.pdf.
For more information, call 715-758-2178 or email Bonduel@agsource.com.
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