Raised garden beds filled with colorful flowers, soft foliage and fresh vegetables are more than just beautiful; the plants also offer an amazing sensory experience.
Ethan FFA members decided to partner with LifeQuest, a nonprofit in Mitchell, S.D., to create a sensory garden for community residents with disabilities. From the brilliant colors and scents of fresh herbs to plants with varying textures and flavors, this type of garden provides multiple levels of engagement and interaction.
“Everybody deserves a chance to experience gardening,” says Susan Roudabush, Ethan FFA advisor and agriculture education teacher. “We wanted to design a garden that could accommodate everyone.”
Creating an Accessible Experience
To ensure the garden was accessible, Ethan FFA met with the team at LifeQuest to learn more about the best design for the garden beds. Raised beds offered a clear advantage, so the chapter began the process of building three 4-by-8-foot raised beds at different heights.
“To make it easier for gardeners to handle soil and plants, we raised [the beds] enough for wheelchairs to fit underneath them,” says Amira Jerke, Ethan High School sophomore and Ethan FFA Chapter historian.
Accessibility was also a key factor in deciding where to place the raised beds. Since it’s not always feasible for wheelchair users to navigate uneven ground or move across large grassy areas to reach a garden, Ethan FFA decided to place the raised beds on a concrete patio.
Ideas Come to Life
Ethan Co-op Lumber and James Valley Landscape Solutions donated lumber and plants, and a South Dakota FFA Foundation Chapter Grant provided additional funds for the project. This spring, FFA members designed, built and planted the raised beds.
“One of the things that makes this project really different is it’s not about doing something that helps the chapter,” Jerke says. “We looked at what our community needed.”
After receiving grant funding, Ethan FFA members designed and built accessible raised garden beds.
Ethan FFA Chapter President Michael Freeman also appreciates how the project helped his chapter members get hands-on experience in the building trades and provided leadership opportunities — all while making a difference in their community.
“It was great seeing how everyone worked together to do something for an organization that needed us,” Freeman adds.
Find New Ways to Live to Serve
National FFA Living to Serve Grants are a great way to make your home, chapter or community a better place. Yearlong Grant and Day of Service Mini-Grant applications are open now, so apply today!
