Sowing the Seeds for Successful Edible Gardens
Edible school garden programs are vital components of robust farm to school initiatives. Serving both youth and educators, they build awareness of food production, grow an appreciation for local food systems, and integrate high-quality agricultural and nutritional learning experiences directly into the curriculum. The benefits that can be reaped from a school-based edible garden are plentiful.
Implementing and sustaining an edible garden program is not without its challenges. Careful planning and community building before digging in is critical. Fortunately, educators across the country are eager to share their experience and knowledge to help with your success.
In 2021, KidsGardening had the privilege of receiving a USDA Farm to School Implementation Grant to create a community of educators and develop resources to help support the continued growth of school food gardens. Through surveys, webinars, community discussions on the Kids Garden Community and coaching calls, we created a trove of resources we have titled the Seeds of Success Toolkit. Meant to inspire and instruct, the Toolkit offers the who, what, where, why, when, and how behind developing an edible youth garden program. It includes a printed guide along with archived webinars on the topics of:
- STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) in the School Food Garden
- Teaching for Sustainability
- Culturally Inclusive Garden-based Learning
- Funding Your School Garden
