Throughout the past few weeks, the efforts of many different people went into achieving the success of Pascack Valley’s new organic garden, located in the courtyard. Next year, the food produced will be used in PV’s culinary classes.

While it was a team effort, the original idea came from PV culinary teacher, Julianne Downes. At Northern Highlands, the previous school where she worked, Downes cared for a vegetable garden that had been donated by a senior as part of his Eagle Scout project. After being hired three years ago, Downes was motivated to replicate the project at PV.

Earlier this year, a grant from Whole Foods was given to Downes by her supervisor, Noemi Rodriguez, to get the project started. Downes’s period two and four culinary classes began planting on May 14.

“The weather could have been better, but I did have tremendous support and effort put in by my culinary classes,” Downes said. “They wanted to stay and finish and I wish I would have let them.”

According to Downes, the hope for the project was that it would promote healthy lifestyles and teach students how to give back to the environment.

Mary Oliveri, a freshman who is in Downes’s second period culinary class, took part in gardening.

“We will have fresh spices, herbs, and vegetables, as well as a nice and organic garden to pick from and cook with,” Oliveri said. “It is also just really beautiful to look at if you sit in the courtyard for lunch.”

The classes planted herbs such as basil, oregano, cilantro, parsley, thyme, and sage, along with vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, varieties of squash and zucchini, brussels sprouts, eggplant, and lettuce. Furthermore, climbing flowers and sunflowers were added in hopes of attracting bees and butterflies.

“[Next year], I hope to do everything from basic salads, pestos, infused olive oils, bruschetta, roasted vegetables, to veggie noodle dishes,” Downes said.

Downes had originally started to plant seeds earlier in the season, but they did not grow properly due to this year’s weather. As a result, Downes worked with the Environmental Club and science teachers Kristen Lindstrom and Michela Piccoline to ensure that the seedlings would sprout.

Along with the help of students and faculty, Downes also had help from family members. Downes’s stepfather visited DePiero’s Farm Stand and Greenhouse in Montvale on May 13 to get the rest of the plants to use for the following day. Downes’s parents, Dave O’Donovan and Bonnie O’Donovan, own O’Donovan Excavating in Park Ridge, and donated vegetables for the garden.

Along with DePiero’s, many different people and companies came forward with donations, such as her husband’s company, Downes Tree Service, Inc., who donated the soil and the compost. Additionally, the specialist at Rain-Flo Irrigation donated supplies for the timed garden irrigation system, and lastly, they collaborated with a local contractor and friend of Downes, Mike Glickman.