Thirty-four of our schools have school gardens, many of them created and supported by local nonprofits. Garden to Table (formerly The Growe Foundation), Growing Gardens and Big Green work with schools to provide assistance with design, organization, planting, maintenance, and most importantly, lessons about biology, ecology, horticulture, and the economics of agriculture and food.
Typically, schools plant and tend their garden plot with participation from students, teachers and many parents. Some schools harvest lettuce and other short germination vegetables in the late spring with the crop used in one or more school meals. Students get to make further connections about what it means to eat local while taking pride in the literal fruits of their labor. In the fall, longer germination vegetables are harvested and used in the cafeteria or in a school farmers market to give students a hands-on experience with the economics of the local food economy.
When students get their hands dirty through school garden or farm field trip participation, they show more willingness to try new fruits and vegetables!
Please fill out the following form for more information about school gardens and greenhouse programming.