By Nicole Scalice, Hazlet Education Association
For the 2019-2020 school year, Beers Street School teachers Maryann Vina, Debbie Lane and myself, Nicole Scalice, were awarded a $2,000 grant to purchase two Tower Gardens to teach the students the importance and benefits of sustainable gardening.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the students were unable to continue attending to the Tower Gardens. Fortunately, school custodian Liz Talamo stepped into action and took care of the two gardens. I walked her through the steps on how to check the pH, maintain the water level, timers and we communicated via pictures.
Dr. Ridley, Hazlet Superintendent, gave us permission to enter the building and harvest the Tower Gardens.
We were then able to donate the harvest of lettuce, basil, arugula, and rainbow swiss chard to the Hazlet Township organization, RAINE.
The harvested vegetation that the students grew was used to provide food for their very own community to help family struggling due to the pandemic.
