10 Years Of Greendale's School Garden: Tours, Celebration Planned

GREENDALE, WI — Saturday marks a special occasion for the Greendale School District: The school garden will be one decade old.

A get-together will cement the occasion and recognize the thousands of pounds of produce that the garden has created, plus a key founder of the garden, Josh Bartleme. It was started in the spring of 2011 with Bartleme's idea and proposal to the district, according to a news release from Greendale Schools. He graduated in 2014.

"In its 10-year history it has served as a source of produce, a location for outdoor educational experiences in multiple disciplines, and an impetus for partnerships with local companies," the news release from Greendale schools said. "The garden bounty is shared with seniors in the community and some is sold to local restaurants."

The garden laid its roots as only a few small raised planting beds, but it has since grown to 10,000 square feet of space and a year-round greenhouse in the back of Greendale High School. A butterfly garden, raspberry patch and vegetable garden all now work to feed Greendale schools and earn money from area restaurants, according to the news release.

In 2018, the garden was especially productive. It produced over 1500 pounds of produce. Recently, the garden has branched out to the community by making several garden plots available to the public, the news release said.

A celebration of the garden's many achievements over the past decade is planned for Saturday 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Greendale High School, 6801 Southway. Tours and refreshments will be available.