Kim Fundingsland/MDN Granville juniors started vegetable plants destined for the Lord’s Cupboard gardens at a small greenhouse at the school. Pictured are, L-R, Ashley Bachmeier, agricultural instructor, Scott Lovro, Hannah Wittmayer, Jessica Evenson, Linda Lovro, Cheyanne Lunde, and Daevun Hickey.

GRANVILLE – The plants are small but they will serve a large purpose.

Granville juniors started a variety of vegetables from seed and are now caring for the young plants in a small greenhouse attached to the school. Among the plants are tomatoes, peppers, watermelon, cucumbers and cabbage.

“These are the plants we started for the food pantry,” said Ashley Bachmeier, agricultural instructor, while looking over the progress of nearly 400 plants on a table in the Granville school greenhouse. “I was approached by the food pantry to see if we’d be willing to start some seeds for their gardens. We said yes.”

Bachmeier called the project a good experience for her students, including learning about community involvement. It will be another week or two before the plants grow large enough to be transplanted to the Lord’s Cupboard gardens near Velva.

“They’re still pretty small, pretty fragile,” said Bachmeier. “When they are little taller, they’ll live and do quite a bit better.”

Duane Brekke, who donated the raised gardens utilized by the Lord’s Cupboard, invited the students to visit the gardens and see the progress of the plants. Each year thousands of pounds of produce is harvested from the gardens for distribution by the Lord’s Cupboard in Minot.