Garden Resources

Whether you want to build a new garden or garner support for an existing garden at your school, you will need to be able to "make the case" to administrators, parents, teachers and potential supporters about why the garden is so important.

So, why should your school have a garden? Because what we feed our children, and what we teach them about food in school shapes how they learn, how they grow and how long they will live. And children today—in schools all across the nation—are in need.

• In the last 30 years, the percentage of American children who are overweight or obese has tripled.

• 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 are on track to develop Type II diabetes (1 in 2 if they are a child of color).

• 23% of all American children face food insecurity.

• Only 2% of children eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables.

• The typical elementary student receives just 3.4 hours of nutrition education each year.

In the face of these challenges, school garden programs can help children grow up to be healthier.

• Children who grow their own food are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables and to be more knowledgeable about nutrition.

• They are also more likely to continue healthy eating habits throughout their lives.

• Children who eat fruits and vegetables are more to carry this healthy habit into adulthood, as well, which can stave off diet-related disease over their lifetimes.

School gardens programs not only promote healthy lifestyles in children, but have also been shown to improve children's behavior and performance at school and improve their attitudes about and appreciation for the environment. Gardens serve as great outdoor classrooms for any number of subjects, including science and ecology, math, creative writing and art. School gardens are wonderful spaces for kids with different learning styles and abilities to work in groups and engage in hands-on, cross-disciplinary education.

The following resources may be helpful for making the case for your school garden:

Benefits of Gardening for Children fact sheet by the University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center

Cultivating strong relationships with stakeholders will ensure that your garden project receives consistent attention and support to help it thrive. Stakeholders are people or organizations that are in invested in and necessary to the success of the garden project.

Stakeholders in school garden projects include the school and school administration, teachers, facilities staff, parents, and members of the community where the school is located.

These key people help your project in a variety of ways:

• Teachers use the garden for curriculum and experiential learning.

• Parents bring their children for special events and can volunteer in the summer months.

• Administrators can support the presence of the garden by approving the use of school spaces, supplies, funds and school-day time.

• Community partners can provide technical expertise, funding or donate supplies.

Meet with stakeholders by setting up meetings with the principal, put yourself on the agenda of a school staff meeting and the Parent-Teacher Organization meeting—and come prepared. Bring to the meetings a vision for the future—a plan for your next year in the garden and how you hope the project can grow—and offer your stakeholders real ways to be a part of that vision.

Hear from teachers about how you can work together to plan curriculum in the garden, ask parents and administration about their interest in a summer garden camp or afterschool program, or work with your principal and facilities staff to help improve your access to water. Your stakeholders are a support system for your garden—remember to keep them informed! Also, see sections Build Community Partnerships and Spread the Word.

Community support and involvement will be key to your garden's success. That's why a well-rounded Planning Committee should be the driving and sustaining force behind your garden. The Planning Committee should play a central role in establishing the garden, organizing events, fundraising, and planning for the garden's future.

Get committee members invested and on the same page by having discussions early on about the Mission and Goals for the garden, and keep them engaged with a regular meeting schedule and fun events. Build a structure to support your committee members in their work—remember that they're volunteering their time!

In the early stages of your garden, the Planning Committee's responsibilities will include:

• Design and implementation

• Communication about the garden

• Fundraising

• Event planning

• Volunteer recruitment

• Visitor tours

• Building a 3–5 year plan

Every Planning Committee will look different depending on the needs and vision of your garden project. Committee members should be representatives from your various stakeholder groups who are committed to the garden.

Be careful of making your committee so large that it has difficulty making decisions effectively—while 6 or 7 people may be able to have very engaging and proactive discussions, gaining consensus can become more difficult as the number increases.

A sample committee might include:

• Garden coordinator

• School administrator

• Parent on PTO Board

• Two teachers

• Member of community partner organization

• Food service coordinator or member of school "Green Team"

Having clearly defined goals for your garden is crucial in helping your project run smoothly. It helps to ensure that those involved are on the same page, allows you to sell the vision of your project to important stakeholders, can help in engaging visitors and recruiting volunteers, and keeps you on track with your growth and development.

Questions to ask when considering your mission and goals:

1. What population do we hope to serve? Primarily students or the larger community?

2. When people visit the garden, what do we want them to get out of their experience? How do we want our visitors to remember their time here?

3. How will we measure the success of our garden? By: Number of visitors? Amount of food produced? Number of teachers/classrooms using the garden to enhance their curriculum? Increased student participation?

Some gardens find it helpful to have a broad mission statement with a more specific list of goals attached. For example, a mission statement might be as follows:

"Our school garden's mission is to improve the health and well-being of students, families, and the larger community."

Goals

• Cultivate student curiosity and exploration.

• Support student nutrition at school and at home, and encourage every child's ownership over his and her own health.

• Cultivate children's joy in learning by providing opportunities for hands-on learning in school curriculum subjects.

• Provide opportunities for students to take on leadership roles. Support students in sharing their own ideas and having their voices heard.

• Make your school a healthier and greener environment by practicing sustainable gardening techniques that restore natural resources and by teaching students that small steps can go a long way towards creating a healthier environment.

• Teach students and community members about the joys of hard work and physical activity.

When you've defined the mission and goals for your project, you can begin to design the physical space to best meet the needs of those goals. Most of your garden will be used for planting, but there are many other physical attributes that help to make a successful school garden. Consider your design as more than just a bird's-eye view—what will your garden look like from a distance? How will it respond to a large crowd? Some things to consider when planning your garden:Physical Needs for Growth

1. Soil: One of your first and most important tasks is to take soil samples from the area where the garden will be and send them off to be tested. This will help to ensure that your soil does not have any contaminants, or may help you decide to pursue raised-bed gardening with new soil. A soil test will also determine your soil structure and will help to define which amendments will be most helpful to add. For more information, contact your state's Agricultural Extension Service. They will provide instructions for a soil test as well as information on interpreting the results.

2. Water: Easy access to water is crucial, and multiple hose hookups for irrigation may be necessary if you live in a hot or arid climate. At the same time, be sure that the land you're growing on has proper drainage – if the soil is often waterlogged, you may want to consider a raised bed system of planting.

3. Sun: Most vegetables need at least six hours of direct sunlight to be successful, and some need many more. Be sure you're not in the shadow of nearby buildings or trees.

Other Potential Garden Needs

• Space to start seeds

• Washing and cleaning space for hands and harvest

Accessibility and Visibility

• Consider your garden as a beautiful sight to passers-by and as a space that children can enjoy exploring when not in an activity.

• Some gardens attached to playgrounds will open for supervised use during recess, allowing children an added relationship with the space.

• Consider that, if your garden isn't next to the school, teachers will be less likely to use it for curriculum.

Age-appropriate Design: People of all ages and physical characteristics will visit and use your garden. Make sure that pathways and signage are clear and provide a shady spot for resting or eating lunch for your many visitors.

Storage: Where will you keep your tools, seeds, or curriculum materials? Inside the school, in weatherproof storage, or in an outdoor shed?

Compost: Compost is a vital part of the garden cycle and an incredible teaching tool. Many types of compost systems are available, but a three-tier system is most popular for school gardens and allows for a wonderful visualization of the decomposition process.

Be sure your compost piles are accessible with a wheelbarrow and in a corner of the garden where the smell of decomposition will not deter any wary visitors.

Meeting Area: A space to gather and provide orientation to classes, volunteers, or tour groups before they head into the garden. The meeting area is a good space to share the school garden rules and behavior expectations

Security: Depending on your area, your garden may be in danger of damage by animals or vandalism. Some sort of fence that still allows for visibility may be helpful, and can also help to let visiting students understand the physical boundaries of the space.

Hopes for the Future and Room for Growth: Do you dream of a small greenhouse? Cold frames? Chickens? Fruit trees? A brick oven? Keep these hopes in mind as you plan out your space—a successful garden project can grow quite quickly!

Every garden project will have a different design based on its specific location and mission. If you have the time, go with your planning committee to visit other gardens nearby and get a feel for different layouts. Check out the links at the bottom of this page for more advice on garden design, or work with the following sites to plan out your design online:

• GrowVeg.com

One of the continuing jobs for the planning committee will be to find funding and secure resources for the work of the garden. Funding can come from a variety of sources including grants, produce sales, and donations. If you are a 501 (c) 3 or are connected to a school, you are eligible to receive grants. Search these websites for funding opportunities that many school gardens are eligible for, and search for local Green Space Development grants or Child Health and Nutrition Grants:

Sites Providing Funding Information and Resources

• National Farm-to-School Network

• National Gardening Association

Specific Grant Programs

• Captain Planet Foundation

• Nature of Learning Grant Program: Resources online the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation website

Doing a quick search online can also yield incredible resources to help the work of your garden. These can be found in the form of lesson plans, planting guides for your area, community partnerships, and more. Seek out your local Agricultural Extension service, Horticultural Society, or community garden for more local information.

Schools are the perfect place to create garden-based learning environments because so many students, parents, teachers, and others make up the school community. At the same time, the particular names and faces of those involved in a school and its garden spaces may change over time.

For that reason, school gardens can benefit from partnering with an organization or business from the community that will help to bring long-term sustainability to the initiative—a "community partner." A community partner can be any organization that will work with and help support the garden for years to come, including:

• Local Farm

• "Sister" School or Community Garden Nearby

• Local Environmental Nonprofit or Nutrition Initiative

• Hardware or Garden Store

• Garden Club

• Restaurant

• Community Kitchen

• Food Relief Organization

• Federal or Local Government

• Faith-based Organization

• Youth Serving Non-profit