Inside a nice, fenced-in space on the east side of the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, there are now four wooden and concrete rectangles with many plants growing in them. Museum educators Juliette O’Connor and Jesse Shetrom have constructed an educational garden to interpret railroading in new and exciting ways. The idea was initially discussed to meet and adapt to Pennsylvania’s educational standards that will be implemented in the near future. The Commonwealth is transitioning from STEAM to STEELS, with the new core standards being Science, Technology and Engineering, Environmental Literacy and Sustainability.
This unique, interpretive space was also designed in mind with the approaching 50th anniversary of the Museum in 2025. The garden project has been months in planning and in the making with outreach to potential donors and partners and inquiries to other groups that have done similar projects.
Ultimately, one of the most important partnerships formed was with the heirloom seed project at the Museum’s sister site, the Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum. They focus on the preservation of heirloom varieties of vegetables grown throughout the Pennsylvania region since the 18th century. With 35 years of experience, they had a wealth of information to offer and donated all of the vegetables in the garden itself. This year, the featured vegetables are Blue Pod Peas, Scarlet Runner Beans, Black Brandywine Tomatoes, Weaver’s Stuffing Peppers and Patty Pan Squash.
There are several educational objectives with the garden as it relates to the Museum, railroading and the Commonwealth’s educational goals. By using heirloom vegetables, one goal is to educate the public on the traditional vegetables grown within Pennsylvania. These were the standards before mass transportation of produce by railroad phased out many heirlooms in favor of commercial varieties. Within the Museum’s own historical collection are several boxcars, refrigerator cars and dining cars that transported or served the produce being described. Ultimately, this garden will be an ongoing project that is rooted in the past but growing toward the future. So, stop and take a look the next time you visit the Museum to see how the garden grows.
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