Manning Early Childhood Center hosted the MECC Garden Celebration on Monday. Principal Otis Reed welcomed elected officials, board members and special guests, as well as students and attendees.
Reed spoke of the garden, which was created using grants and began with only four raised beds, where vegetables and herbs are planted, tended and harvested by the students. Today, the garden has grown to nearly 20 beds, full of vegetables including squash, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, kale, cabbage, cauliflower and a variety of herbs.
The Manning High School FFA has helped build the raised garden beds and recently helped the MECC program by assembling the new garden shed. The Manning Rotary Club donated a new picnic table for the garden area, which will arrive soon.
“As you can see, while this garden exists on our campus, it is clear that it is truly a community effort. It belongs to us, it’s the MECC garden. But we have so many community partners, whether through grant funding, whether through tending the garden, whether through helping to build the beds and equip us with the materials we need, so many community members help us with this garden. So as principal of this school, I cannot thank you enough for the generous support that you have shown us in so many ways,” said Reed.
Rhonda Joyner performed the dedication to Marie Land, who works in the garden with the students, assisting in planting and growing tips, teaching the children the best ways to work with the dirt. She often takes the harvested items and prepares them as dishes for the children to eat.
“Today we are dedicating the garden to a very special lady, Mrs. Land. Mrs. Land works very hard. She spends many hours volunteering at our school and even more hours helping us in our garden. She is a master gardener, so her expertise is much needed. But more than that, her love and compassion and dedication that she shows to all of our students is tremendous. Mrs. Land, we wanted you to know how much we love and adore and appreciate everything you do,” said Joyner.
Joyner read the plaque presented to Land. “He who plants a tree plants a hope. – Lucy Carmen. In honor of Mrs. Marie Land for making our garden come to life. This plaque commemorates a planting of her love at Manning Early Childhood Center.” Another plaque was staked in the garden, which will remain there.
Mrs. Land spoke to the Children. “This is your garden, too, because all of you have worked in here and we’ve had such a good time together. I have learned so much from you about gardening, and I’m so happy that this garden’s going to be here, and we’ll always have something to remember that we did together. I want to thank you students,” said Land.
Kay Kirkpatrick, another gardening volunteer with the school, spoke of friendship. “I’m sure in every room in the Early Childhood Center, every child is a friend. I felt very strongly that friendship is something you build up in your classroom,” said Kirkpatrick. She picked herbs related to friendship, such as mint and parsley, some from the garden, to combine in a tussy-mussy to present to Land. “I love Marie. She has spearheaded this garden for three years. It’s such a success, and the children really do learn.”
Students Brooklynn Burgess and Rowan Briley from Mrs. Stokes’ class read hand-made thank you cards prepared for Land and presented them to her.
Mrs. G. Baker’s class recited “The Water Cycle” for Land, followed by a presentation of “What’s in the Garden” by Mr. R. Blair’s class and a poem by Ms. D. Blakley’s class. The MECC Montessori classes presented Land with a vase of yellow narcissus and a large blue-painted stone. Each student had added a painted fingerprint as a flower petal in the flower design.
Clarendon County School District 2 Superintendent John Tindal offered closing remarks. “During my tenure here, which has been a long one thus far, Mrs. Land has been a leader in numerous ways. She has been a servant leader. She’s served this community, she’s served this school district and she hasn’t asked for anything in return except for us to do well. She loves this community, she loves this school district and she shows it by her actions through the things she does, and we appreciate that in Mrs. Land,” said Tindal.
Land had no idea the garden would be dedicated in her honor. “I had no clue,” said Land. She has worked with the school for three years, helping the children enjoy the garden, provided for by the Farm to School grant. Bonnie Farms has provided all the plants for the garden, but the children do the work. “The children harvest, now. I don’t do the harvesting. They do the picking,” said Land. She has helped prepare a kale salad, mashed cauliflower, squash casserole and more. The children have learned the herbs in the garden, and a favorite for the children is mint tea. Land is proud of the children and all they’ve accomplished and looks forward to continuing to garden with them in coming years.
