The pollinator garden at Academe of the Oaks. Photo from https://www.facebook.com/AcademeoftheOaks

The Academe of the Oaks High School in Decatur will host a harvest festival and fundraiser to showcase the school’s new pollinator garden.

The Harvest Festival and Pop-Up Farmer’s Market will take place on Saturday, September 26 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the school located at 146 New Street in Decatur.

The festival is free and open to the public. Proceeds from the event will benefit the school’s garden program. A press release says, “Attendees will have a variety of opportunities to gain a better understanding of where their food comes from, including a chance to speak with local farmers and market vendors. Attendees can also meet the very special animals at Academe of the Oaks including goats, chickens, butterflies and bees.”

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“The student-tended garden at Academe of the Oaks is a very important part of our curriculum and provides an opportunity for students to learn hands-on about sustainability,” Eva Handschin, school director at Academe of the Oaks, is quoted as saying. “The Harvest Festival gives us a chance to recognize local farmers and highlight why agriculture is so important while enjoying food, music, and our community!”

Additional events at the harvest festival listed include opportunities to:

• Speak with local food growers to see and taste delicious, healthy food.

• Learn about the agricultural importance of a healthy pollinator population and the features of what to include in a pollinator garden.

• Learn creative ways to grow sustainable food.

• Purchase food from local farmers, community businesses, and vendors, including honey, eggs and produce harvested by Academe of the Oaks students.

• Enjoy delicious prepared food sourced from the school’s harvest and local farmers.

• Experience educational exhibits and demonstrations that provide information

The Academe of the Oaks was founded in 2002 and follows the Waldorf curriculum. According to the Waldorf website, the Waldorf Education program was developed in 1919 and “is based on an understanding of human development that addresses the needs of the growing child. Waldorf teachers strive to transform education into an art that educates the whole child—the heart and the hands, as well as the head.”