By Mary Sloan
Special to the Clarkston News

INDEPENDENCE TWP. — The Rotary Club of Clarkston has been awarded a grant to help the Clarkston Family Farm by creating greater accessibility to raised planting beds in its Peace Pole Garden.
This garden is used by students and community members to plant vegetables for consumption.
The objective of this project is to raise the planting beds to a more accessible height for all users. Currently, the farm has eleven raised planter beds which are utilized during their hands-on programming. Unfortunately, these raised beds are only 12 inches off the ground, making them inaccessible to many physically challenged people.
Rotarians, Interactors and other community helpers will be adding 18 inches of height to the 11 existing planting beds, and adding three new 30-inch high raised planting beds. They will then add crushed gravel to the paths between the beds for safer footing in the garden.
The grant will also include planting herbs around the solar panels for beautification and for use in cooking and education in classes and camps.
The Clarkston Family Farm, located at 6800 Hubbard Road, provides nature-based education as well as a gathering space for the greater Clarkson community. The farm is committed to inspiring the next generation about the value of nature, sustainability and healthy food.
The farm hosts field trips for all Clarkston Community Schools (Young 5s through high school, as well as the Life Skills students), many educational summer camps, Learning Adventures, and Clarkston SCAMP. The farm is also a meeting place for area farm clubs. More than 10,000 students and children in the community are serviced each year.
This project also addresses three of Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus: Improving child heath, supporting basic education, and protecting the environment.