Crabtree Farms offered their first "Make & Take" Rain Barrel workshop on Saturday, June 12. Together, Coca-Cola and Chattanooga Water Quality Management provided free rain barrels for all participants.
Wayne Boyd, of Chattanooga Water Quality Management, will be joining Crabtree in a one-hour demonstration on how to provide your community garden or landscaping with sustainable solutions.
This hands-on workshop manifests the importance of conserving rain water by instructing attendees on how to make rain barrels. The rain barrel is becoming more and more popular around the country as a way for property owners to reduce their water bills, store untreated water that is ideal for lawns and gardens, as well as manage unfiltered water caused by storm drainage that is the number one cause of water pollution.
The farmers of Crabtree have also donated several plants for programs at Dawn Center School. This school, for at-risk children, is trying something different this summer. They have incorporated landscaping into their teaching mechanisms, a technique that has never been used at Dawn Center before.
From English to Math, the plants donated are not only a learning experience, but are a part of the therapy that is used to treat at-risk children. Not only will children learn the general basics in school, but school gardens show the children creativity with the environment, love, and compassion for living creatures. This teaching approach has also been proven to reduce stress, improve nurturing skills, and implement proper exercise for the kids involved.
For more information on school gardens, garden volunteer opportunities, workshops and more please contact Sarah Malone at 423 493-9155 ext.16, or email smalone@crabtreefarms.org.