Who We Are

Located at Ilm Academy in Fremont, CA, we 9th graders acknowledge the importance of environmental care and helping others. To create a long-lasting project at the school, we are taking the initiative to plant a variety of vegetables. After each harvest of vegetables, we gladly donate them to a food bank to help people with no source of fresh produce. Our legacy project extends beyond planting seeds, as it will also provide a positive impact on the students’ mindsets.

What We Plant

We plant a variety of vegetables, including carrots, radishes, peas, onions, beets, and more.

All of our plants are grown naturally, and no chemicals are used for preservation. Our vegetables are also organic, making them healthy and suitable for donation to food banks.

Kids Plant the Future

Most importantly, the 9th graders are not the only ones who plant and organize this project. With this project, we strive to create a positive impact from which the younger grades can benefit and be inspired. We find it extremely important to teach kids about the importance of taking care of the environment and our planet. By motivating them to engage in hands-on experiences and not just spoken lectures, younger students become empowered to make a difference and take care of their communities.

Our Harvests

After our break, around the beginning of spring, we harvested our plants. Although some vegetables were not fully grown, such as the beets, we still harvested nearly twenty small beets, radishes, and a significant amount of peas. The same weekend, we went to a local food pantry named Salam Food Pantry and donated whatever vegetables we had harvested. Although our harvest wasn't that successful, we were extremely grateful that we were able to donate something and benefit our community. Not only did we donate the veggies to the food bank but we also learned from our mistakes and became more aware of what we should do next time.

Achievements We Have Made

Thankfully, we have made many achievements so far. The main achievement we have made is that we received a grant by Roots and Shoots. When we received the grant from Roots and Shoots, we bought seeds, fertilizers, proper soil, and equipment to achieve a proper gardening atmosphere suitable for our plants.

Challenges We Have Faced

Every project has its challenges, and our project is not an exception. One of the difficulties that caused a drastic impact on our plants is the presence of moles. Some moles would create tunnels, creating holes in our planters. This damaged the soil's structure and led to many plants being eaten by the moles. After discovering the damage, we harvested early and donated the vegetables to a local food pantry. Using leftover grant money, we bought materials to protect the garden and plan to replant and set up the new system soon.

the culprit

Future Plans

We have recently loosened up the soil to install the wire mesh at the bottom to prevent gophers and other animals from destroying our plants. We will put different types of seeds again and then cover up each planter by installing a greenhouse structure on the top. We plan to do this in the next few weeks. Hopefully, we will complete many harvests this time and donate to the food bank more often. If we need more money to help make our plants and vegetables grow better, we might reapply for the grant after our summer break. Undoubtedly, our project will create a positive and long-lasting impact on our community and environment.