A Maine high school fundraiser meant to help fight hunger turned into a bizarre dinner disaster after students accidentally served potting soil to guests — and a few teens even took bites before realizing they were literally eating dirt.
The strange mix-up happened during an “Empty Bowl Supper” event at Medomak Valley High School in Waldoboro, a small town about 30 miles outside Augusta.
According to school officials, students in a science class had earlier baked potting soil in the oven as part of an experiment testing how sterilized soil affects plant growth. The dirt was placed in a foil-covered baking dish and left off to the side in the school kitchen.
But as volunteers rushed around preparing food for the charity event later that evening, the tray of baked dirt somehow ended up getting served alongside actual desserts.
Yes — real dirt.
“Three students briefly put some of the soil in their mouths, believing it to be a dessert item, before immediately realizing what it was,” the school said in a statement.
The mystery “dessert” was quickly pulled from the serving table once the mistake was discovered.
School administrators stressed the embarrassing blunder was “completely accidental” and not some kind of prank gone wrong.
Still, the incident left plenty of people stunned that oven-baked potting soil could somehow be mistaken for food in the first place.
Parents of the students involved were contacted, and school officials apologized for the chaos surrounding the longtime community event.
“Those involved in organizing the Empty Bowl Supper… are deeply sorry that this occurred,” principal Linda Pease said.
For the unlucky teens who got a mouthful of dirt, however, it’s probably a school dinner they’ll never forget.
