"The Gonzales Master Gardeners, ever vigilant for opportunities to cultivate an appreciation and interest in gardening among school children, now have a permanent place for their horticultural classroom.
"This project has the potential to change the lives of our students," says Bob Burchard, member of the Gonzales Master Gardeners chapter. "And the effects of the project will be carried into the homes and families of the participants and their teachers. This will become a model for teaching the reasons and benefits of the conservation of our natural resources."
Through approval by the Gonzales County Commissioners and the Gonzales Independent School District, and in collaboration with the city of Gonzales and the Master Gardeners, the GISD is providing the AgriLife Extension Service of Gonzales County a building situated on the campus of Gonzales Elementary School.
The building will be utilized as a classroom for the presentation of the Junior Master Gardener curriculum prepared by Texas A&M University. AgriLife will also use the facility for meetings and seminars, as well as a venue for continuing education.
"This is an old building that served as the cafeteria for GISD back when all the schools were on the same block," Burchard explains. "The Master Gardeners were looking for a facility and to continue educating the kids, as we did last year with the gardens at the Eggleston House."
The regular monthly meetings of the Gonzales Master Gardeners Chapter will be held at this site, and all future master gardener training sessions and classes will be scheduled for the building. It is estimated that about 1,000 adults will be using the facility each year for various lectures, demonstrations and training sessions.
"We approached the school about it, and their initial reaction was like, ‘Ewww, you really want that building?', to which we said ‘Yes'," Burchard says. "It has a good foundation and roof, and is right by the school, so all kids have to do is walk down the sidewalk. We told them we would clean it up, then go out in the community and raise the money we need to get it going."
Approximately 650 students at Gonzales Elementary School will be the recipients of the Junior Master Gardener curriculum taught by the science teachers of the school. These science teachers will be trained by Texas A&M University.
The Gonzales Chapter of Master Gardeners, sponsored by Agrilife and Texas A&M, will be the facilitators of the curriculum. The Gonzales Master Gardeners will also lead the portion of the program for the students that involves planting and harvesting seasonal crops, installation of rain water harvesting facilities and the use of solar panels, all of which emphasize the need to conserve energy and natural resources.
"The main thrust of the project is education," Burchard says. "The students will have the opportunity to plant and harvest crops, seeing the results of their labor and recognizing, literally, where food comes from. Conservation of natural resources and energy will be demonstrated by harvesting rain water using compost and mulch with the crops, and utilizing proper soil preparation and cultivation."
The building was built in the early 1930s, and was used for many years as a school cafeteria. It is a wood frame structure, with a stucco exterior. The facility has hardwood floors that are in excellent condition, has a practically new metal roof and is structurally sound. The building's dimensions are 89 feet long by 27 feet wide.
"The involvement of [the city, the county, GISD, AgriLife and the Master Gardeners] guarantees a thorough telling of how this project will benefit the Gonzales community," Burchard says.
"It also represents a timeline of education," Burchard adds. "It will be great to see its transition from a 1930s school cafeteria to a demonstration of modern conservation methods, and its development into a billboard for conservation and education."
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