By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Several months ago, Hillsboro Elementary School fifth-grader Dylan Horton went to HES Principal Evan Yoder with an idea — he wanted to start a school garden to donate the produce to needy families.

“I saw it on TV that they were donating the food to a soup kitchen,” Dylan said.

Yoder said he knew Goessel and Centre schools had school gardens with help from grants, so he looked into the possibility. Those grants were casualties of state budget cuts, so he set aside the idea of a school garden.

However, Dylan was persistent in his requests that the school start a garden, and Yoder decided a smaller garden might work. He spoke with Superintendent Steve Noble and Transportation and Maintenance Director Keith Goossen about the idea and received the go-ahead for a garden.

The City of Hillsboro helped laying the groundwork. Dale Dalke, Johnny Gilkey, and Chris Brewer built two elevated gardens using old railroad ties in a single afternoon Friday. Yoder said the school will try to utilize the gardens as teaching aids.

Dylan said he has experience gardening with his family. He volunteered to help maintain the garden during the summer, and several other students offered to help, too.

Dylan would like to plant peas, tomatoes, and any other produce that could be harvested before the end of school.