Edible School Gardens
Did you know that a typical carrot often travels nearly 2,000 miles to reach your table? Transporting our food from far away has a significant negative impact on the environment…plus it’s a lot more fun to grow a carrot than to wait for it to arrive on a truck! Research shows that children are more likely to try a new fruit or vegetable if they have been involved in planting, growing, and harvesting it. Edible gardens can provide healthy eating habits that will stay with kids throughout their lives. Edible school gardens not only provide fresh, nutritious foods for students to enjoy, but valuable learning experiences as well. In addition to providing the chance for kids to learn how to garden and grow food, edible gardens are living laboratories that provide vast opportunities for exploration and investigation. Learn how to design, build and utilize edible gardens at your school! (And remember: be sure to choose fruit, vegetable and herb plants that will produce while school is in session so kids can enjoy what they’ve grown!)
Tip: Also visit our National & State Green School Programs page to learn more about local and national Green School programs and resources to help you improve the health & sustainability of your school!
Before You Start
- Overview: USDA Edible School Gardens Fact Sheet
- Eco Schools Sustainable Food Pathway
- Form an Action Team
- School Grounds Site Assessment
Design and Preparation
- Project Design & Preparation Basics
- Plants in the Schoolyard
- Conduct a Sustainable Food Audit
- Find School Garden Grants:
- View Model Edible Schoolyards:
Implementation
- Project Implementation Basics
- Develop a Sustainable Food Action Plan
- General Tips:
- Build Raised Beds, Salad Tables & Boxes:
- Become a Food Corps Service Site: Apply for School or District
- Also See: Healthy, Sustainable Food Initiatives
- Also See: Attracting Pollinators
Maintenance
Using Your Project
- Nutrition Education in the Garden: Best Practices
- Connecting the Garden to the Classroom
- LifeLab School Garden Curriculum, Online Lessons, Webinars & Workshops
- Edible Schoolyard Resources Search Engine
- Training: The Edible Schoolyard Academy
- Kids Gardening Educator Resources
- Growing School Gardens Professional Learning Community
- EPA Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides & Online Resources for Educators
- Eco Schools K-12 Resources for Educators
- Eco Schools National Standards & Curriculum Alignment
- Green Education Foundation: Sustainability Lesson Clearinghouse
- Learning Lab Sustainability Lessons
- Project Learning Tree Curriculum Offerings
Sharing Your Project
- Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Notebook
- Engage EVERYONE with the “The School Day Just Got Healthier” Toolkit!
- Involve Parents & Others Enhancing & Implementing a School Wellness Policy
- Nutrition Education & Promotion Materials
- Forward Food Posters, Postcards & More
- Golden Carrot Award: Food Service Healthy School Lunch Improvement
- Create Signs About Healthy Food Tips & Efforts
- Make Signs & Host a Celebration
Resource Center
- Project Resource Library: Learn More!
- National & State Green Schools Programs
- Bay Backpack Teaching Resources Search Engine
- Where Your Food Comes From: Farm-Based Education Network Resources
- Farm to School Network Resources Search Engine
- EPA Learning & Teaching About the Environment (awards, resources, more)