Growing trust and leadership

The little girls of Daisy Troop 2160 wanted to get involved in their community, learn something new and donate to a local organization. Look East donated a community garden plots for the Troop to use and the girls set out on their gardening adventure.

The project began with a vegetable tasting party. The Troop mapped out the garden bed and discussed which vegetables to plant and when to plant based on temperatures. They decided to donate all their produce to Harvesters to provide fresh vegetables to families in need.

On May 6 the girls came out to plant the first seeds, lay down compost and a lot of love! Throughout the summer, the Troop came together weekly to harvest what they could, pull weeds and water their garden.

Dr. Linda Oakley, Assistant Professor of Health, Physical Education & Recreation Department at Missouri Western State University educated the girls about where the produce was going after they harvested, kept a tally of total pounds donated and the impact they were having on their community.

On Monday, October 14, the Troop 2160 rallied together for a final harvest and to clean up their garden bed. Living true to the Girl Scout way, they left the bed better than they found it in the spring and left no trace of weeds. Throughout the summer they learned to identify when different vegetables are ready for picking, which plants are weeds and how to properly water their garden. They also have a new appreciation for having the ability to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables and a sense of accomplishment to be able to share their bounty with those in need.

The growing season was quite prosperous, as mother nature supplied rain and sunshine at just the right times. Here is the final tally of the Troop’s accomplishments by the numbers: