Two elementary schools in Linden, School #4 and School #5, have been awarded grants to start school vegetable gardens by the New Jersey Agricultural Society. The agricultural society’s Learning Through Gardening program will give these schools materials to build vegetable gardens, as well as curriculum and training workshops for the teachers to assist them in using the garden as an outdoor classroom.
The elementary schools will receive all the materials necessary to begin a school garden: three raised garden beds each, soil to fill the beds, garden hand tools, soaker hoses, and vegetable seedlings and seeds. Additional garden beds, tools, and plants will be given in each of the two subsequent years. The New Jersey Agricultural Society will also provide teachers at Linden Public Schools #4 and #5 with training workshops and curriculum to enable them to use the garden as an outdoor learning laboratory where they can teach lessons in all subjects, including math, science, social studies, and language arts.
The goal of Learning Through Gardening grants is to teach children how fruits and vegetables are grown, educate children to make life-long healthy food choices, and give teachers an outdoor classroom where they can teach agriculture as part of their everyday lessons. The New Jersey Agricultural Society is currently supporting gardening in 27 elementary schools throughout New Jersey. Grants are awarded through an application process.
The New Jersey Agricultural Society also provides events to get the entire school community excited about the new school garden. A kick-off garden pep rally will be held at both of the Linden elementary schools in September. A fall poster and essay contest designed around an agricultural theme will be held for all schools in the Learning Through Gardening program. The contest will give students the opportunity to share what they are learning from their school gardens and nutrition lessons.
The New Jersey Agricultural Society believes that school gardens have many benefits. “Often children today are disconnected from agriculture and think that their food comes from a grocery store,” said Carolyn Taylor, director of the Learning Through Gardening program. “By working in a school garden, children learn where their food comes from, and they take pride in growing it.”
Harvesting food from a school garden also encourages children to eat healthy foods and combats childhood obesity. Maintaining a garden teaches students to care for their environment.
For more information on the Learning Through Gardening program see the New Jersey Agricultural Society web site: www.njagsociety.org.
