Ideas for Change in America

  • Good Food For All Kids: A Garden at Every School

    By planting a garden at every school in America, we will ensure that every child has the opportunity to benefit from eating more fresh healthy foods. A well-planned edible schoolyard can supply a significant portion of a school's daily food needs. By cultivating a garden together, children learn vital skills in team work, problem solving, creative planning, and sustainable living. Garden-based classes are a great way to complement classroom education in many subjects including biology, botany, ecology, mathematics, nutrition, art, and writing. Most importantly, gardening is fun for kids! School gardens can dramatically enliven the learning process by giving students the ability to connect in a very experiential and hands-on way with the incredible living world unfolding all around them. The diet of America's youth needs to improve. Hunger, bad nutrition and obesity among children are leading causes of health risks and often contribute to poor classroom performance. For all of these reasons and many more, let's support the vision for a garden growing at every school in America!

    - Ethan Genauer Jan 25 @ 11:20PM PST

Comments (89)

26 older comments see the full discussion ^

  • Dylan Ryals-Hamilton
    Mar 03, 2010 @ 07:05AM PT
    Dylan Ryals-Hamil...

    We are about to face an extreme food crisis.  The average farmer is currently not only an extreme minority, butis about to retire.  The people have mostly moved to the cities and suburbs.  We are also staring into the face of a peak oil/energy crisis.  Where will our food come from when the farmers all retire and the trucks stop running?  We absolutely must bring the food to where the people are, and begin relearning to grow it ourselves.  I can see no plan more effective at solving all of these problems than to begin teaching children that food comes from seeds in the ground (not the grocery store) and to begin mobilizing a generation-wide food action force in the form of the common people growing food at schools, in their yards (food not lawns), and on every rooftop, park, median, greenway, and apartment balcony.  We have left a shameful legacy for our children's generation.  Why not begin preparing them now to deal with a future where they can no longer buy produce from Chile, New Zealand, or indeed even from other parts of the U.S?  This is the most critical first step we can take toward building local resilience and better health for people everywhere.  Besides, I don't care what Reagan thought, french fries and ketchup do not count as a vegetable!

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  • Bernadette Albright
    Mar 05, 2010 @ 07:07AM PT
    Bernadette Albright

    When schooling originated in America the farmers whose children attended supplied the teacher with meats, produce, grains, etc., Here we are in the new millenium debating food quality for our children. This is absurd. As a member of our local Fair Share Garden, we have participated in planting gardens in 2 local schools, and re-established the historic garden at the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. Children must understand the full process of food cultivation, they will be the ones deciding the votes when we are old, we better nourish them with now.

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  • David Chappell
    Mar 05, 2010 @ 09:13AM PT
    David Chappell

    I was an ag student many years ago, got my degree, and couldn't fit into the agribiz world....after many years of being away from the trade, I ended up teaching the garden program at a local elementary school with a half acre garden. It was one of the most rewarding times of my life, and now 12 years after that experience, I STILL see some of my students who ask "how is the garden doing?!!" Impact.

    I am now involved in organizing a county-wide effort to link all the garden programs to a statewide network here in california. I have been working with Head Start, and every grade level through high school. There is a lot of exciting work going on out there...but currently it is fairly fractured. National efforts like this one will help to solidify our message to the powers that be that we are united and ready to work for change in the way we teach our kids about health, the environment, and social stability through community effort.

    Vote for this important effort! 

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  • Roland Evans
    Mar 05, 2010 @ 01:28PM PT
    Roland Evans

    This is such an obviously brilliant idea.  I planted my first garden at age 7 and have never looked back.  I now have a business making a premium compost tea system called Bountea (see http://www.bountea.com) and grow all my own vegetables up in the Rocky Mountains at 7,400 altitude.  

    I have taught gardening at many levels and know that kids really need to get out and get their hands dirty.  The microbes in the soil strengthen young immune systems and the nutrients in organically home grown vegetables are more than twice that of store-bought produce.  

    All it needs is energy and money. 

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  • Rick Parrish
    Mar 07, 2010 @ 04:49AM PT
    Rick Parrish

    I sincerely hope this idea can continue to follow an organic path, especially after it gets into the school systems. As you know, special interests threw a major tantrum when the First Lady announced that her White House garden would be "organic". The schools will soon be more strapped for cash than ever as a result of budget cuts that favor corporate special interests over education and social services (as is happening in my own state, Virginia). Enticements from companies like Monsanto, Bayer and others will be difficult for cash-strapped school districts to resist.

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  • James Godsil
    Mar 08, 2010 @ 05:45AM PT
    James Godsil

    As a step toward this glorious vision, how about we start with...

     

    a worm box and raspberry patch for each and every school!

     

    The garden would soon follow these baby steps.

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  • Rachel Pringle
    Mar 08, 2010 @ 09:03AM PT
    Rachel Pringle

    This is a great idea, also forwarded here in California by Delaine Eastin, the former Superintendent of Public Instruction. She called for a garden in every school during her tenure at the CA Dept. of Education. 

    I work for the San Francisco Green Schoolyard Alliance and we work with the over 65 school gardens here in SFUSD.  Most are simple raised beds and some are more established food systems gardens. (www.sfgreenschools.org)

    My colleague and I have just written a book, to be published by Timber Press in June, called How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers. (http://www.timberpress.com/books/how_grow_school_garden/bucklin-sporer/9781604690002) It's very much about organizing the community around these garden projects not only to build them, but also to sustain them.

    Thanks for this!

    Rachel Pringle

    SF Green Schoolyard Alliance

    &

    Occidental Arts & Ecology Center School Garden Teacher Training Program

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  • Stephan McGuire
    Mar 08, 2010 @ 11:23AM PT
    Stephan McGuire

    Its essential.  I just got back from Namibia a few months ago where I actually had a hand in changing legislature:  http://www.treemedia.com/treemedia.com/News.html We mandated that all schools are now ecological learning centers where they are now mandated to include organic food growing and tree planting as part of education curriculum.  With smaller countries, its easy to accomplish as there is much less bureaucracy.  But it seems that cities, towns, counties and states should be able to create such programs!

     

     

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  • susan dean
    Mar 08, 2010 @ 05:15PM PT
    susan dean

    Ths development of outdoor classrooms and organic gardening programs in schools is the way to go. "Last Child in the Woods" says it too if you haven't read it. Quality early childhood education is also critical. I know. I have been a school president and now I am developing outdoor classrooms. Life lab is a great example of one. My web site is www.thegardenschool.net if you need more information. I think this should be first priority for too many reasons to mention. susan

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  • Sally Williams
    Mar 09, 2010 @ 07:18AM PT
    Sally Williams

    My nephew gets animated when he talks about his school garden, I am convinced that in addition to other good reasons to create gardens, this is a great way to learn.

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  • shannon synclare
    Mar 09, 2010 @ 04:21PM PT
    shannon synclare

    not only do they learn a lot and have fun, but a kid who grows a vegetable is more likely to eat a vegetable!

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  • Dwight Bobson
    Mar 09, 2010 @ 06:44PM PT
    Dwight Bobson

    I can't recommend a better way for kids to learn life skills.  My first garden started before I was in school and I thank my parents for their guidance.

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  • Doug Victor
    Mar 10, 2010 @ 05:59AM PT
    Doug Victor

    Kids need nature and nature needs kids. It's that simple. If we are to reclaim our rights to the land, what better way to begin than with school garden projects in every school across the country. The simple but profound act of putting the fingers in the soil to grow food plants a SEED for a future full of wonder and attainable possiblities.

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  • nancy reike
    Mar 10, 2010 @ 06:20AM PT
    nancy reike

    This is not a new idea by any means. many schools across the country have done this- in the relity that all schools should, our governmnet keeps cutting funds to our schools in areas that should not be cut. they take awy money, they give it back, they take it waway.......

    a funding cycle. the key is to make sure it is enacted into a law that each school has to do it.and the government has to fund at least 75% of it.

    as sometimes a community has to participate, i think a community can give thay extra 25%.

    however good for you for getting it on a siute and getting votes. i definitely say yes to this project

    kids will need to know what sustainability is when they are older and how to go about it.

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  • Lavonne Hickl
    Mar 10, 2010 @ 06:42AM PT
    Lavonne Hickl

    This school garden needs to be purely Heritage plants...NO GMO and no MONSANTO!!!  The gm foods are no better than the "fast foods"  that they are getting in the schools now.

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  • Tony Kaufman
    Mar 10, 2010 @ 07:17AM PT
    Tony Kaufman

    Here at Lake Village Homestead in Kalamazoo, Michigan, we believe strongly in the importance and value of exposing children to how their food moves from farm to table. Our cooperative farm produces grass-fed beef, pastured pork, free-range poultry, chevon, goat milk, eggs, cheese, honey, maple syrup and popcorn. Children of all ages come visit the farm through organized tours and individual family memberships. They respond to the fresh air, the sights, sounds and smells of the animals, and learn lessons large and small about the natural world and their place in it.

    Children must learn now the value of caring for clean air, water and earth and how to care for these riches in ecologically sound ways. Schoolyard gardens are an excellent start.

    Tony Kaufman, farm manager, Lake Village Homestead

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  • Donna Barr
    Mar 10, 2010 @ 07:55AM PT
    Donna Barr

    Schools should have "Farm teams."

    Literally.

    Kids will readily team up and compete like crows; imagine kids from two schools showing off their biggest pumpkins, fattest hens, most exotic potato selections, Top Flight Compost Heaps.  With cheerleaders.

    If so much funding is being channeled into sports, MAKE farming a sport.

    The Olympics in 2018?  :)

     

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  • Paul Engstrom
    Mar 10, 2010 @ 10:47AM PT
    Paul Engstrom

    I think this a great idea. If this program is a suc it could encourage them to persuade their parents to have edible plant landscaping of Front yards instead of lawns and when the children become adults too might  do the same.  This would make all healthier, reduce trips to market and have fresher produce

     

    Someone with contacts with the Green Party National should persuade them to get behind this idea. It might gain that political party some recognition.

     

    Have efforts been made to contact the great number of

     

    garden Clubs and Horticultural Societies?

     

    Good luck and thank you for the information on this.

     

    Paul Engstrom

    Los Altos, Califess

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  • Mar 10, 2010 @ 11:02AM PT
    A K

    Not only Americans but  every child living on this earth has got a right to eat healthy food. So you should appeal to the people to teach his child how to plant a tree and enjoy the fruits subsequently. Don't be so self centered.

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  • Neil Blonstein
    Mar 10, 2010 @ 02:49PM PT
    Neil Blonstein

    As a just retired teacher, I must mention, that my last school, for ten years, had  an inner courtyard appropriate to allow  every third-grader to plant one plant, but I doubt that even 50 children out of one thousand ever laid their hands on the soil. I brought my children down and knew one other teacher and one teacher's aid (out of maybe 60-70 staff) that regularly brought the children to the garden (to plant something). There was no school plan.

    I am pleased--nearly shocked--to see us in the top ten towards the end. We must educate the teachers to utilize the resources existing and to get improved/expanded gardens/terrain.

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  • Linda Harkness
    Mar 10, 2010 @ 04:11PM PT
    Linda Harkness

    Every child should know how to garden and feed themselves.  School gardens teach and empower kids!

     

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  • annette cottrell
    Mar 10, 2010 @ 07:51PM PT
    annette cottrell

    I'm working on a pdf that schools can use in their gardens.  I planned a 4x4 garden for kids with 3 season interest, plant list, growing and harvesting directions, recipes and seed savings directions:  http://www.sustainableeats.com/2010/03/03/childs-garden-giveaway/

    I have all the materials on the site as word docs but will be pulling it all together into one easy download for schools or parents to use.  I think schools having their own gardens is such an important idea but it needs to be driven by the teachers.

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  • mina SOHAEI
    Mar 10, 2010 @ 11:31PM PT
    mina SOHAEI

    THIS WAY MAYBE MORE CHILDREN LEARN HOW TO EAT FRESH FOR LIFE

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  • evelyn principe
    Mar 11, 2010 @ 03:37AM PT
    evelyn principe

    A yes vote from me, how important is this and soooo easy to do....beats running to the fast food places to eat, let's go pull a carrot or split open a sweet pea...wonderful..I'll help

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  • season george
    Mar 11, 2010 @ 07:37AM PT
    season george

    My name is Season George, I work for the Not for profit organization, Damayan Garden Project. We have been working for 18 yrs in the tallahassee area installing gardens for schools, low income families, and community rec. centers. It is a dream come true to hear that there is a greater recognition of how valuable a tool a garden can be to a group of people.  Thank you for supporting our mission. Please visit us at Damayan.org. Good Work!  

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  • Douglas Larson
    Mar 11, 2010 @ 10:05AM PT
    Douglas Larson

    I think this is a superb idea. The only thought I have is, while I am aware there are techniques that make it possible to garden year round for many crops, the majority of food crops are harvested in the summer, when most school kids are not in school. Some crops, like peas, would be harvested in May to early June. But the learning from the planning, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting and overall crop managemet could be vast and invaluable for kids.

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  • kathryn guylay
    Mar 11, 2010 @ 10:39AM PT
    kathryn guylay

    Our 100% volunteer organization is already starting to make this happen in our local community in the North Shore of Chicago--- except that our thought is to include cooking classes that help families and kids cook (easily) with the fresh produce.  Check out our organization at www.nurtureyourfamily.org.   We have free nutrition education materials for schools under Our Work (see K-5).  All it takes is passion and energy to change the world, bite by bite!

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  • chris peterson
    Mar 11, 2010 @ 12:30PM PT
    chris peterson

    I love the idea, worked on it for awhile in my school last year when I was teaching in SLC. The problems I ran up against centered around liabilities for generating food on school district land.  The other issue we found is that growing season in colder climes doesn't necessarily coincide with schoolyear schedules. Fortunately, I believe we can generate solutions for both of these issues with policy changes and recruiting local volunteers to tend the gardens.

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  • Adam Wojtanek
    Mar 11, 2010 @ 02:20PM PT
    Adam Wojtanek

    I agree. That is an awesome idea. Surprising no one thought of it earlier.

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  • Aurora Rodriguez
    Mar 11, 2010 @ 07:55PM PT
    Aurora Rodriguez

    It's awesome to see that there are already schools doing this!  I wish I had gone to a school that offered this program...I would have known at an early age about growing my own garden and eating healthier!  Would have probably avoided many health issues...I think we need to support the idea and promote it in our communities.

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  • Leah Del Signore
    Mar 11, 2010 @ 11:22PM PT
    Leah Del Signore

    For the Houston area, there is Urban Harvest.  They have been promoting community, school and backyard gardens for a number of years.  They teach a series of classes on how to plan and implement the school or community garden, pamphlets and a gardening book for the Houston area (which is important because our location and weather means we cannot rely on what usually works). 

    The community gardens frequently contribute fresh foods to food banks.  Another important initiative.

    Urban Harvest does great things. 

    http://www.urbanharvest.org/index.html

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  • Bridget O'Hara
    Mar 12, 2010 @ 05:27AM PT
    Bridget O'Hara

    We have a Peace garden at our local Vance Elementary in Asheville North Carolina. There are many ways to incorporate standard course of study lessons in the garden. Poetry, writing, math, art, weather, life-cycles and other science lessons are all enhanced in the garden.

    Gardens are a lot of work! Parents do a tremendous amount but a thriving school garden with incorporated curriculum NEEDS a full time dedicated staff person.  After years of winging it we now have a full time Americore volunteer who's passion is getting kids into the garden. She organizes all the volunteers, and works with the city to get mulch and leaves dropped for free. She keeps us on schedule making sure the fruit trees are pruned at the proper time, the seeds are planted at the proper time and the harvest is picked at the proper time. She keeps in touch with everyone through e-mail, notes sent home in school back packs in spanish and english and a bulletin board in the garden.  She keeps the tools organized and protected in an cob shed.

    This spring as we get started planting we will be installing rainwater catchment that will water our garden with pure beneficial rainwater.

    www.vancepeacegarden.ning.com

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  • Beuna Tomalino
    Mar 12, 2010 @ 06:52AM PT
    Beuna Tomalino

    Mel Bartholomew, creator of Square Foot Gardening (http://www.squarefootgardening.com) developed a gardening school program for schools several years ago. It is a fantastic way to teach children about food, gardening, and other subjects.  Elementary schools received kits to help them implement the program.  There is a book available with lesson plans (see Square Foot Gardening website or http://familyfriendlybooks.com/zc/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=3173)

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  • Glenn Battin
    Mar 12, 2010 @ 07:24AM PT
    Glenn Battin

    ORGANIC GARDENS ONLY

    get the schools off of DRUGS.

     

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  • Ethan Genauer
    Mar 12, 2010 @ 11:18AM PT
    Ethan Genauer

    Voting ends at 5 pm today: We're in 7th place with over 4,000 votes and it looks like we're definitely going to be one of the top 10 winners!! Thanks so much to Food Democracy Now!, Slow Money Alliance, Real Food Challenge, Civil Eats, DC Food For All, American Farmland Trust and everyone else who has supported and voted for this ripe idea of "Good Food For All Kids: A Garden at Every School"!!!

    You are now invited to join over 2,500 people helping to launch the next phase of this grassroots, do-it-ourselves campaign for universal school gardens at our "School Gardens Across America" Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=323041926571&ref=mf

    WE'RE GROWING UP AND HUNGRY FOR CHANGE!

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  • sabrina gorbett
    Mar 15, 2010 @ 10:11AM PT
    sabrina gorbett

    YES! in the Top Ten! Great job to you all who started this and kept it growing.

     

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  • Jeanette Neeley
    Mar 15, 2010 @ 10:43AM PT
    Jeanette Neeley

    Of course the answer is to work on sustatinability.

    This is the system change we need. If you give a man a fish he will eat for a day but if you teach a man to fish he will eat .....:)

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  • Lloyd Helferty
    Mar 15, 2010 @ 10:15PM PT
    Lloyd Helferty

    Schools could better use their unused land resources (like their unused roof resources) to create school food gardens where schools and community members are encouraged to use school land to develop sustainable food gardens aimed at producing fresh food for local communities. Particularly those where access to fresh food is limited.

    By directly inspiring youth in 'hands on' sustainable energy and food production programs will provide progressive educators great teaching aids for educating our kids about how to live well sustainably and give our youth a solid foundation that will inspire them to appreciate sustainability and see that it is both practical and doable. They will hopefully be inspired to realize if they can do it, why can't our governments do so?

    Bio-char reactors should be made available within our local communities so that green waste can be recycled locally and used to produce a source of soil remediation product that goes directly into these gardens and the landscaping of our cities and towns.

    Start by getting biochar into the White House garden.

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  • Wendy McKinnis
    Mar 16, 2010 @ 07:25AM PT
    Wendy McKinnis

    I think this is a great idea and agree with the comments already listed.  Healthy eating and where our food comes from needs to be in the forefront of our minds to produce a heathlier generation and children learning first hand is a great way to start this initiative.  Children need to learn how important the Earth is and how to save it.

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  • jose maldonado
    Mar 16, 2010 @ 09:54PM PT
    jose maldonado

    to grow your own food is an experience and practice everyone should have.  I hope more then anything for all children to partake in growing there own food and have fresh food to eat.

    Thank you all for any energy put to such a beautiful cause.

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  • Ursula Garrett
    Mar 17, 2010 @ 01:28PM PT
    Ursula Garrett

    Excelent idea.  Does a lot for the kids.  Boosts health, self estime, pride in there school etc.  They it much better when they learn how the food growsl  Also leads to science lessons, art, etc.

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  • Christian Kozloski
    Mar 18, 2010 @ 08:01AM PT
    Christian Kozloski

    Yes Yes Yes a fantastic Idea!

    Increasing the knowledge of where our food comes from will also help to re -create the community we so desperately need now.

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  • Raelin Hansen
    Mar 25, 2010 @ 07:29PM PT
    Raelin Hansen

    Yay Vance Elementary, yay Asheville, NC! Yay Bridget! (From a fellow Ashevillian)

    As a number of comments here have made clear, large agribiz corporations have been attempting, and at times succeeding, in having undue influence on what goes on at our schools, and what goes into our kids' stomachs. Why am i bringing this up? Because i'd like to ask you, while you're here, to pop over and take a closer look at another Top Ten winner: Move to Amend. I tell you this because one thing that every one of us, with our many causes, must realize, is that this is THE ISSUE on which all other issues ultimately hinge, because corporations have their fingers in EVERY LAST SINGLE PIE! Pass it on! Continue to work for this cause, of course, but join the fight to FIRST OF ALL do away with the absurd fiction of corporate personhood, because the recent Supreme Court decision in "Citizens United vs Federal Election Commission" affects ANY chance that you have of changing existing laws, and indeed threatens the few freedoms we still have! (Because "speech" with money is bigger and louder than anyone's rightful, individual free speech, and advertising [read propaganda] has a notorious power to whip up fear in more malleable members of society. Good education can of course also be an antidote to that malleability.)

    I will add this: the most powerful use of - and publicity for - this issue is to make it, for the midterms, a major (even better make it THE MAJOR) campaign issue. If organized groups of people confront the candidates and ask them "How will you vote, or better yet will you co-sponsor a move to amend our constitution, to do away with for once and for all this absurd conception of corporations as persons?" If they won't do that, they shouldn't have our vote! Our freedom and our control over the issues that affect us rest, beneath it all, on this one issue!

     

     

     

     

     

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  • Hermine Lee
    Mar 31, 2010 @ 05:32AM PT
    Hermine Lee

    I'm a recently retired teacher and helped before and after retirement in our school garden. This is such a great idea! I've seen the pleasure kids who do not have the opportunity to grow things get in preparing the soil, planting and watching things grow; and moreso eating foods they've grown.I visualize them as adults contributing to our food supply and healthy environment.

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  • Karin Bartimole
    Apr 05, 2010 @ 12:10PM PT
    Karin Bartimole

    Really a great idea, on so many levels.  Not only the obvious, of introducing children to whole, healthy, real foods, but so much can be learned through creating and witnessing the cycles of life - practicing nurturing; understanding commitment and responsibility; cooperation with others, because gardens are hard work and wouldn't be possible for one student all alone - so much can be learned by creating and sustaining a healthy garden!

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  • Nicole Duffeck
    Apr 06, 2010 @ 06:49PM PT
    Nicole Duffeck

    This is a fantastic idea! I have an eight year old daughter and six year old son and there's nothing cooler than watching them in our garden at home. They've planted vegies and flower, weeded, watered and eaten home grown organic goodies. It's up lifting to watch children playing outside, call a time out because they're hungry and run over to the raspberry bush to grab a snack. I would support this and donate time and resources to make it a reality and my children's school

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  • Katharina Stieffenhofer
    Apr 07, 2010 @ 10:49AM PT
    Katharina Stieffenhofer

    This new documentary film about a quietly revolutionary school gardening project in the North may be of interest. Please see web-site/trailer link and Lunch Box heroes article link below

    http://www.andthisismygarden.com/index.html

    http://lunchbox.posterous.com/lunch-box-heroes-eleanor-woitowicz-and-kathar

     

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  • Bill Back
    Jun 17, 2010 @ 03:11PM PT
    Bill Back

    I am thinking of starting a summer school gardening class, or a gardeneering camp.

    Now is the time!

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  • Lloyd Helferty
    Jun 18, 2010 @ 08:43AM PT
    Lloyd Helferty

    Good Idea regarding starting a summer school gardening class, or a "gardeneering camp"!

    Check out the Charcoalab Project: http://bionecho.org/charcoalab/

    They are preparing the restart of the Charcoalab Project soon.

    Their "biocharkits" will be designed to teach students... and will soon be available to schools and individuals all over the world -- in North America too!

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  • Jared Finkelstein
    Jun 27, 2010 @ 07:56PM PT
    Jared Finkelstein

    School gardens are becoming more popular and make such a big difference in the lives of the students. I have seen it first-hand - my company, Teich Garden Systems, has installed school gardens accross the country and in each case the gardens have become a part of various different courses including math, science and even literature.

    Hopefully the trend will continue.

    Jared T. Finkelstein
    Teich Garden Systems
    888-622-5822

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    • Lyn Hakeem
      Jul 02, 2010 @ 09:50AM PT
      Lyn Hakeem

      I love what your company is doing. I'm a begining researcher. I will be researching the effects of school garden curriculum on young school age children. This is new to Louisiana. Seafood is king/queen here. I hope to establish school gardens throughout east Baton Rouge parish.

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