School Gardens Plant the Seeds for Life-Long Healthy Habits

As school gets back in session across the country, many students are picking up trowels and watering cans in addition to pencils and notebook paper. School gardens, supported by the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm to School program and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, give students the chance to plant, grow and eat their own produce while learning the different nutritional benefits of each fruit and veggie. The freshly grown produce often ends up in the hands of students through taste tests and on occasion in dishes in the school cafeteria. In addition, teachers have the opportunity to weave healthy lessons from the garden into classroom subjects. Getting kids excited about healthy foods through a school garden can be a great way to warm them up to the more nutritious options offered through the new “Smart Snacks in School” requirements.

Here are a couple examples of schools that are rolling up their sleeves and slipping on garden gloves this year: 

1. Arizona school gardens increase low-income students’ access to healthy foods 

Students help grow vegetables and herbs in their school gardens and greenhouse, and use their garden for lessons in science, math and community projects, according to this recent Arizona Daily Star story. Our favorite idea that the article highlighted was how eighth graders are learning to create a business plan to sell their garden produce.

Photo credit: Cameron Taylor via http://bit.ly/15X8kjn

2. Detroit school gardens help kids develop healthy habits

We enjoyed this Detroit News article featuring a middle school garden that grows vegetables ranging from eggplant to radicchio. In particular, a quote from Detroit Public School Office of School Nutrition Executive Director Betti Wiggins about the lasting impact a school garden can have on kids stood out to us:

“Our school garden program allows students to make connections through our science curriculum and their lives through actual hands on participation working in the garden, thereby providing an important bridge between learning and health for students.”

Photo credit: John T. Greilick/The Detroit News via http://bit.ly/18FDSho

Ready to get started at your school? Designing a garden from scratch, maintaining it, and engaging students can seem daunting, so we’ve pulled together some resources to make sowing the first seeds a little easier:

How to launch and maintain a successful school garden:
The USDA lists important questions to ask as you evaluate the future location of your garden and explains how to choose the best plants for your climate zone. Read the full blog: http://1.usa.gov/1ahR5RE or print out this easy checklist from their People’s Garden Initiative: http://1.usa.gov/17BuH0s

How to integrate healthy lessons from the garden into the classroom:
Check out this array of fun, engaging classroom material that weaves healthy garden lessons into other academic subjects: http://stnfd.biz/o2cfr

How to get kids excited about gardening:
Read insights from other educators on the challenges and successes of their school gardens in this transcript of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Twitter chat “Gardening with Kids”: http://bit.ly/14Zpgtj

Parents can also reinforce the healthier food choices students are making in their school gardens by starting a backyard family garden. Check out this Yahoo! article for tips on building a garden at home (http://yhoo.it/14skcdr) and head over to My Plate’s Pinterest page for lunchbox recipes featuring freshly grown fruits and veggies: http://bit.ly/14b8Jmf.

We’d love to hear your stories about gardening at school or at home! Write on our Facebook wall or tweet us @BagtheJunk.