From Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) club to Junior State of America (JSA) club, Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) has many clubs of interest for students to join. If you’re looking to improve the environment, get community service hours and have a nice place to relax and meet new people, then Garden Club is the one for you.

The Foothill Tech Garden Club was started by former teacher Kurt Miller and his ninth grade health class of 2022. After Miller left the school, the current sophomores who started the Garden Club with him decided to keep working on the garden and continue Miller’s legacy. 

The Foothill Tech Garden Club meets on Thursdays at lunch, and you will usually find the club members weeding the garden, watering the plants, repotting plants or harvesting the produce to make healthy dishes or veggie bags for the teachers. Ventura has a mediterranean and coastal environment, so Garden Club secretary Finley Colavito ’26 states that “We [the Garden Club] choose certain crops that aren’t harmful and invasive to the local ecosystem.”

In terms of the environment, the club also takes pride in growing their own produce, as opposed to buying mass-produced goods. Club president Shea Stevenson ‘26 also states, “I think it’s just really great for the school, to have some more greenery in it.” The club also plans to do composting with their produce, as well as with food from the school cafeteria.

Along with having environmental benefits, the garden is also  a zen place where students can relax around nature and unwind from the busy school day. Miller hoped to create a calm environment for students, but that was when the garden was limited to students in his health class. Now the garden is open to all grades, and all students of Foothill Tech. Club vice president, Naomi Schwartz ‘26 believes, “It gives students a chance to make connections with new people and experience new things that they hadn’t before.” The club allows students to put work into something that they care about that will not only benefit them, but also the Foothill Tech community around them.

The club centers around its members and their contributions to the garden. The hard work they put into weeding, planting and watering is how they maintain the garden. This pays off when it’s time for harvesting. The produce they harvest can be used to make healthy meals for students, teachers and club members.