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--> --> Eight-year-old Ian Wurfl shows his determination to carry a too-big pumpkin at Eagle Mill Farm outside Ashland after his Lincoln Elementary School teacher announced: `If you can carry it, it's your's.' Ashland Daily Tidings/DENISE BARATTA Students harvest crops for needy By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings Dirt, work and produce have added up to an educational project that keeps on giving. Students in Lincoln Elementary School's Blender class, led by teachers Mark Sherbow and Barbara Heyerman, have planted, raised and harvested crops at the Eagle Mill Farm to distribute throughout the community. According to Eagle Mill Farming Education Project volunteer, Jeanine Sturm, students were able to contribute a substantial amount to the Ashland Food Bank and ACCESS. "The food bank has received 50 to 60 pounds of food and ACCESS was more like 150 to 200 pounds of food," Sturm said Wednesday at the farm. Sturm noted that in years past, the project harvested enough crops to keep the pumpkin patch plentiful and student belly's full - but little more. "This is the first year that it's expanded big enough to donate out," she said. According to Ron Roth, who purchased the farm in 1982, even the youngest students are eager to pitch in around the farm. "This is more fun than sitting in a classroom I would think" Roth said. Roth noted that the farm's popularity has continued to swell with the pumpkin patch as a featured attraction. "It's like a bird migration. I don't need to advertise, they call here," he said. The pumpkin patch, free to students, has attracted so many visitors that Roth would sometimes purchase additional pumpkins to meet demand. However, three years of student participation has helped plump the patch. "This year, the project will be paying for half of it (the pumpkin patch)," Sturm said. After a spring of planting and a fall of harvesting, there's still more work to be done at Eagle Mill Farm. "We're doing prep-planting for next spring in addition to our pumpkin project," Sturm said. Once students shoveled, composted and prepped the garden, it became time to select a pumpkin of their own. Students quickly scampered into the field selecting orange, white and even green pumpkins to morph into jack-o'-lanterns. Blender Ian Wurfl, a third grader at Lincoln, paused for a moment to note that this was his favorite part. "I like picking pumpkins," Wurfl said. Wurfl's fellow third grade Blender, Claudia Eckert, enjoyed all aspects of the farm. "It's been fun. We plant things and then we come back and pick them," Eckert said. Leaving the farm, students headed to the Bellview Grange to feast on their harvested crops. "It's a pretty neat deal all the way around," Sturm said. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing