Hope Elementary School and Home Depot teamed up to create five new raised beds at the school. Volunteers helped to build and fill the beds April 20. 

Tom Cloutier, Home Depot Specialty ASM at the Rockland store, worked with Debra Benner, Hope Elementary School's Garden Coordinator and First Grade teacher, to provide the school with necessary supplies to get the project moving.  Home Depot also provided grow lights, seeds, fertilizer, lumber, tools, picnic tables, landscape cloth and manpower assistance.  

The goal of the project is to provide healthy food for the students by way of a farm-to-cafeteria initiative. Students will be involved in growing food throughout the year and will also have an opportunity to use the gardens as an outdoor classroom. 
 
“We'd like to thank Home Depot from the bottom of our hearts and also extend a thank you to Hammond Buck from Plants Unlimited and Coast of Maine Soil for their generous donations of soil,” said Benner.