July 29, 2025 2p
(WGTD)---A significant component of the rehabilitative program at the new Jonathan Delagrave Youth Development and Care Center in Caledonia involves horticulture.
Thanks to a $60,000 grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts, two gardens have been established to grow food and serve as learning labs.
Kailyn Palomares is a Racine County Land Conservation Division staffer who spoke recently on WGTD’s Morning Show. "The kids are able to learn about where their food comes from," she said. "How pollination works. Which food grows well with other foods. They get to watch from beginning to end from seed to harvest."
Not only watch but participate in the growing process. In addition, the food they grow winds up in the facility’s dining hall.
Palomares says there’s a second garden. "It's smaller. It' just meant for sitting and reflecting," Palomares said. "That one has native plants so they can learn about native plants and infiltration and the importance of native species. They're going to learn how to harvest those seeds. We're going to use those seeds in county projects in the future."
Coming up with a viable plan for the gardens that would satisfy security concerns wasn’t easy, according to Monte Osterman who chairs the county’s Land and Water Conservation Committee. "I had no idea the extent of things we had to go through," Osterman said on the show. "Every little thing had to be vetted right down to what type of plants. There are some plants we can't grow because they can be made into weapons," he said.
Establishing gardens in a juvenile correctional facility is so unique that the county, as part of its grant application, included the creation of a ‘how to’ manual.
The new center started filling up just last month. Palomares says so far the kids have had a mixed reaction to the urban agriculture project, with some expressing all-out enthusiasm while others appearing to have little interest.
Osterman says he’s confident that over time the experiences gained in the gardens for some will be life-changing.
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