Edible Schoolyard

Wouldn't you have loved to go to a middle school where you learned that asparagus grows one stalk at a time straight up from the ground?

And instead of another day learning about world history you got to get some fresh air and tend to the dinosaur kale?

Unless you live in Berkeley, this probably isn't going to happen, but if you have a school that is a part of Alice Water's charity, Edible Schoolyard, you are in luck!

John and I visited Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School a couple weekends back for the Edible Schoolyard charity plant sale.  They had a bluegrass band playing in the yard, middle schoolers were giving tours of the garden, you could buy plants for your garden started by the students, and you could buy food from some of Berkeley's finest to support the cause.

When Alice Waters has a charity, she probably has no problem getting the local purveyors to donate!

All the middle schoolers seemed cheerful and happy to be there.  I got a good laugh over a mom in front of me scolding a middle schooler for gossiping about his friend (who had just walked away).  Don't miss that part of middle school!

There was a huge pizza oven in the garden where piping hot pizzas were coming out every few minutes.

You can bet that John and I had two pieces each!

The school even has their own hen house where I presume they get fresh eggs.  This little one seems to be looking forward to attending school here!

It was a great even and John and I are definitely planning on going again next year.  Maybe we'll win one of the raffle prizes for a dinner for two at Chez Panisse!  A girl can dream, right?