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School Gardens Cultivate Fresh Produce for Maine Township Food Pantry

Women pulling out plant from her garden and smiling while wearing a white construction hat.

We continue our core mission of growing fresh and organic produce for the Maine Township Food Pantry, with the hands-on support of our outstanding School Board members.

Board Member Vicki Loise personally grew from seed many of the thriving tomato plants you see across the district. Earlier this summer, Board Member Rachel Georgakis helped harvest 59 pounds of carrots and beets from just one of Carpenter’s five raised beds while visiting the district’s construction sites.

Construction temporarily affected water access at the gardens, creating an opportunity to intensively grow crops for seed saving. These seeds will help stock student-accessible seed banks at every district school, opening in winter 2027. Ongoing construction projects have shifted the timeline for our middle school garden installations; however, we now look forward to building these sites throughout the upcoming winter months.

With water access restored, we’ll transition the gardens into fall planting and look forward to another productive harvest.

Want to get involved? Sign up for your school's Green Team and let's grow a more beautiful D64!

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Together We Learn, Grow, Connect, & Care

At D64, our vision is that every child is empowered to discover their voice, reach their full potential, and make a positive impact on the world. Student growth, driven by rigorous curriculum and effective instruction, makes District 64 one of the best PreK-8 school districts in the state.

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