Building Opportunities for Local Food and Garden Education for Polk County Students — The Dirt

Students from Ms. Sara Brown’s class at Cherokee Elementary School work as a team to plan and construct their mini garden

The mini gardens at these schools are so important because they promote lifelong, healthy eating habits. Students have a chance to try fruits and vegetables unique to the growing conditions of their surrounding community and discover how fresh herbs can enhance the taste of a meal. By introducing students to a variety of different produce and herbs, they may choose to incorporate them into their daily diet in the long-term.

Additionally, the mini gardens provide students with a hands-on learning environment that is fun and exciting. Putting your hands in the dirt, fostering nutrient rich soil from composting, and seeing your work grow — or even fail — is part of the learning experience. The gardening projects will continue to be part of lessons related to math, science, health, and so much more.