I met Jeff Ross today, garden manager for Blackberry Farm, which is a very quaint “farm to table”inn with a rare collection of artisans. The chef, the master gardener, the baker, the cheese maker, the forger, the butcher, the jam lady, the chocolatier, the restaurant manager, the sommelier — all blend their unique talents to create what their guests know as Blackberry Farm.
Jeff and his wife, Rachel, are involved with the enviromental committee at Sea Pines Montessori to create a kitchen garden for the kids “garden to lunchbox” initiative. Most of the plants in the garden are being grown from heirloom seeds used in South Carolina as well as pea seeds from Tanzania, where their sister school resides. For two days Jeff, along with the students, parents, and staff created this hands-on nutritional outdoor classroom.
It won’t be long before the kids will be feasting on, everbearing strawberries, jersey knight asparagus, shanty boat butterbeans, german queen and brandywine and bonnie grape tomatoes, perkins okra, ichiban eggplant, and tanzania field peas.
I wish them the best success for a truly fun and inspiring educational journey from seed to plant to fruition. All of our children could benefit from a garden to lunchbox initiative. Thank you Sea Pines Montessori.