Boosting confidence, nutritional knowledge
Sette has seen firsthand that younger students can be just as enthusiastic about gardening as the Food Forest coordinators are.
“Last semester I went out to Harns Marsh Middle School, and it was a harvest day for them and the kids went crazy,” she says. “They get a real sense of pride when they know that the things they are growing are going to their friends at lunchtime. It’s giving the kids a confidence boost in what they’re capable of, and they’re understanding nutrition from a younger age.”
Hassett estimates that 75 Lee County schools have their own gardens, and 25 are producing enough food to supply to their cafeterias regularly. “There are some schools that are getting quite a lot,” she says. “About four schools can produce enough for their cafeteria. Two schools are producing enough that they can send it to other schools as well.”
Teachers use the gardens to teach topics including nutrition, biology, art, agriculture, environmental studies, literacy and marketing to students of all ages. One high school engineering class even designed a solar-powered system for the hydroponic towers, so schools without an electrical outlet near their gardens can still power a tower system.
Comments are closed.