School digs $1,000 grant

Davis Elementary School has received a grant to establish a garden on its Costa Mesa campus, bolstering a program that provides farming education to at-risk students.

This morning, at the school’s flag deck, representatives from the California Fertilizer Foundation plan to present a $1,000 check to administrators. The school recently built eight upraised planter boxes on its playground, and plans to use the grant money to buy fertilizer, tools and other equipment to grow plants.

Every year, the nonprofit group awards grants to 24 schools around the state. Davis, which runs an after-school ranch program with the Orange County Fair and Exposition Center, won the judges over with its application. At the fairgrounds every week, students — mostly from disadvantaged backgrounds — learn to ride horses, care for animals and garden.

Now, with the grant money, Davis can begin a harvest in its own backyard.

“They learn this by starting out with their green thumbs and planting seeds and harvesting the crops,” said Richard Cornett, the foundation’s director of communications. “Because of their motivation and determination, we want to give them $1,000.”

At this morning’s ceremony, the school expects a visit from Costa Mesa Assemblyman Van Tran, State Sen. Tom Harman and several district officials. Principal Cheryl Beck said the gardening grant could indirectly support another program that the Newport-Mesa Unified School District has trumpeted in recent years. With childhood obesity rates high nationwide, the district has provided fruits and vegetables for students to eat at school.

“We were thinking of [growing] some vegetables, some things that kids could harvest, and work it into the nutrition network for our district,” Beck said.