March is designated as National Nutrition Month by the American Dietetic Association.   This year’s theme, “Nutrition from the Ground Up”, promotes the importance of consuming a healthy diet which includes fresh fruits and vegetables.  School fruit and vegetable gardens have been increasing in popularity.  With the growing emphasis on hands-on learning and active participation, more schools have added gardens to serve as outdoor science and environmental learning laboratories.

Eleven of our schools participated in the “Grow Healthy” School Garden Project sponsored by the Florida Department of Education.  Each school received a supply of green beans, lettuce, basil, radish, tomato, and carrot seeds along with a gardening book and resources.  Each school was unique in planting and caring for their school garden.

Before planting the garden, students analyzed the different properties of various seeds.  Students then learned about the germination process which is when a seeds sprouts and a plant emerges from a seed or spore and begins growth.  During the germination process students learned about the nutritional value of the fruits and vegetables they planted. Students brainstormed recipes that could be prepared using the produce that was grown. Recipes were researched and used in math lessons to practice converting fractions.

Planting the Garden: Students from a variety of grade levels prepared land and soil to start the growing process. They pulled weeds, dug holes and enlisted help from staff with large pieces of equipment. They learned about how coffee grounds, egg shells, and newspaper which are common household items can be used in gardening.  Schools enlisted advice from the University of Florida Extension office on proper ground preparation and continual needs of the garden. Staff from each of the schools donated time, gardening talents and materials they had available to add to the growth of the garden and the learning experience for their students.

Caring for the Garden: Gardening provided opportunities for exercise as the students were given assignments of weeding, watering and harvesting the crops.  Each assignment was designated to different grade levels. Older students took part in mentoring younger students in the gardening process. Students observed how the amount of sunlight on the garden affected growth of the plants. Bug removal and classification gave the opportunity to incorporate hands on science lessons.

Harvesting the Crop: Young children find the process of gardening fascinating as they participate in the process from planting seeds to harvesting their crops. Students were captivated to explore the time it took for various seeds to sprout and compared time to seed size.  Participants had a high interest in planting and taking care of the garden. The gardens have allowed them to start something and follow it though to the end result, how to work well with others, and share responsibility. Excitement was created as tiny sprouts started and continued until the crops were ready to be harvested.  Classes enjoyed salads and green beans and created new recipes to try with the crops. This experience provided students the chance to learn and grow from the ground up.