How to Start a School Garden from Slow Food
How to Start a School Garden from Slow Food
“How do I start a school garden?” “How do I improve food at my child’s school?” At Slow Food USA we’re asked those questions frequently and we imagine you are, too. What we’ve found is that handing over a lengthy curriculum guide or project plan can overwhelm someone who’s just warming up to the idea of taking action. We felt the need to create a set of easily digestible introductory resources for the growing number of parents who are interested in improving the way their children experience food in school, and today we’re proud to share them with you.
- “Building a School Garden” suggests outstanding school garden curriculum guides, points to trusted seed and garden supply companies, and provides a checklist of tasks to help the garden take root in the school community.
- “Improving School Food” helps parents identify a target (e.g. the cafeteria, vending machines, food rewards in the classroom), build community support to address the target, and work with key decision-makers to come to a resolution.
Twitter – Tip sheet on starting a school garden from @SlowFoodUSA https://bit.ly/mJnrFS
Hint: start small. Does improving school food seem impossible? @SlowFoodUSA shows you how to bite off a piece you can chew https://bit.ly/m8YMs2
Facebook or newsletter
New tip sheets from Slow Food USA give a broad-strokes introduction to starting a school garden or changing your school’s food choices. [Link to https://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/in_schools_detail/get_started/]
And finally, it bears mention that none of this would have been possible without Dr. Susan Rubin (founder of Better School Food and one of the Two Angry Moms), who was critical in the researching and drafting of these sheets.
My company, Teich Garden Systems, also has resources on our website that may be helpful including links to research on the benefits of school gardens, fundraising ideas and a guide on getting a garden started: https://www.teichgardensystems.com/School-Gardens.html We design and install garden systems that have been used in numerous schools. Also kudos to Dr. Rubin and the Two Angry Moms (TGS knows all 3 of them).
We have been trying to get our local elementary school to start a garden program but the funds aren’t there.