Planting the Foundation for Healthy Eating.

GrowingGreat’s garden activities involve children in the process of growing, harvesting, eating, and selling their own organic produce. This is an exciting program where nutrition comes to life.

Students experience new foods while learning about seasonality, life cycles, and sustainable food production. Trained docents assist students in planting themed vegetable gardens during both the fall and spring seasons.

Garden themes include:

• Tops and Bottoms Salad
• Sunflowers and Pumpkins
• Vegetable Cousins
• Butterfly/Pollinator
• Endangered Species
• Three Sisters
• California Agriculture/Rancho Kitchen
• Scientific Salad
• Colonial Kitchen
• Water Conservation

During the winter, students harvest their fall gardens and enjoy the food during classroom harvest celebrations. The surplus is sold at student-run school farmers’ markets, with the proceeds reinvested in the gardens.

After harvesting, students prepare the garden debris for composting, which they turn, maintain, and use to improve the soil for future plantings.

To learn more about our garden programs and to get involved with GrowingGreat, please contact us.