School+Garden+Wrkshp+3-7-9

School Gardens 101 “Planning a Garden and Connecting it to your Curriculum” Hosted by  Growing Healthy Kids Initiative of the Food Security Partners Funded by the Baptist healing Trust

March 7, 2009

Thanks to Shavaun Evans of Food Security Partners of Middle Tennessee Christie Wiser, Shelby Bottoms nature center Presenters Planning a Garden – Andrea Morrison-Baker - Eakin elementary Connecting a Garden to your Curriculum – Stephanie McGrath – Vanderbilt Dr. Elvis Cherry – Hill Middle School Nancy Stetten – Park Avenue.

= What I learned from Andrea = --- Concern over connecting everyone --- Church helped with the project --- providing help setting up the beds --- they used the lasagna method of creating the soil… parent built the boxes. She noted that the garden has reduced aggressive behaviors and enables families to connect with the school in a meaningful way.
 * 1) Importance of getting a teacher representative from each grade level.
 * 2) Setting a schedule for garden care is critical
 * 3) Survey families – to get information but also as a tool to help them think about the garden and healthy habits. (emailed andrea for a copy)

Their team consists of; a teacher coordinator, a grant writer, a parent to coordinate parents, a “garden expert” this person can be anyone who has experience or knowledge or both of the garden, a teacher who provides the curriculum connections ready made (in their case this was the part time science teacher) This person supervises their planting.

FUNCO does the watering and care when they are not in school What I learned from Stephanie I requested the DVD which included healthy snacks which she created. = What I learned from Dr. Cherry =
 * 1) Children are more likely to eat vegetables that they grow.
 * 2) Stephanie made one lesson plan for 1st-3rd grades --- but her point was to connect the garden to standards ---(which we have already looked at—it ties in everywhere --- but creating the lesson plans to go with each of those will be a different issue.
 * 3) 75% of the 1st graders she encountered didn’t eat the minimum of daily vegetables and fruits (in cafeteria world 55-65% of this standard comes from potato and from catsup)

Each bed (4X8) cost $78.00 total They used a Behavior Punch Card – on Friday if you have not had a punch you get to have the last 45 minutes for anything on the Fun Friday – agenda…the garden is one of the most popular of these activities. He found a farmer to donate manure and the guy build his frames – which must not use pressure treated lumber--- because arsnic is used int the pressure treated variety.

He bought 10 pairs of colored gloves for the garden – when all those are distributed --- that is all the people that can work in the garden.

Diatomecous earth sprinkled around a plan base will keep slugs away (it is like shards of glass – to them. Blood meal frightens away rabbits – who interpret its scent as a predator. He asked every child to bring a bag of dirt ($1.50) The kids were so excited that they mixed the soil with their hands – there was only one pitch fork ---

He pointed out the benefit of team building Children made stepping stones out of cement – with their names and handprints.

He just let gourds decompose and seed themselves the first year.

Sunflowers create shade on the south side of the garden He used the corn as a lesson in pollination Cherry tomatoes because each child can have some.

They got a USDA healthy snacks initiative grant

Every child gets a healthy snack – cafeteria workers –get paid extra to make the snacks. What I learned from Nancy Stetten - Park Avenue The approach of this gardener was unique. It came from a deeper experience with nature and a completely amazing creative spot…

She planted Raspberries (heritage variety) and cuts them back so that they bloom from August through November --- she treats the garden like museum with plants representing each of the four plant groups Bryophytes (Mosses) Pteridophytes (Ferns) Gymnosperms (Pines/ Conifers) Angiosperms (Flowering plants)

She suggested parsley because it attracts swallowtail butterflies --- She has done a pamphlet for each kid --