Schools across Maine getting gardening boost

DURHAM – Nonprofit organization ReTreeUs has been awarded a 2021 USDA Farm to School Turnkey Grant that will support 10 schools in Maine through its Back to School Garden program.
The program solves major issues confronting school gardens, especially summer maintenance, while increasing productivity to generate abundant harvests for cafeterias and maximizing garden learning opportunities. Garden-based lessons include decomposition, soil building, successional planting, and season extension.
ReTreeUS is delivering more than 4,000 seedlings and garden support resources to participating schools.
ReTreeUS is also using funding from Hannaford and other sources to reach a total of 15 schools. The schools benefiting from the program include Atwood Primary School, Oakland; Auburn Middle School;, Captain Albert Stevens School, Belfast; Connors Elementary School, Lewiston’ Ellsworth Middle School; Hollis Elementary School; Indian Township School; Lee Academy; Lewiston High School; Manchester School; Park Avenue Elementary School, Auburn; Thomaston Grammar School; Walker Elementary School, Liberty; Wentworth School, Scarborough; Williams Elementary School, Oakland.