Edible Schoolyard - A Non-Profit Group Teaching Gardening to Urban School Kids

Written by John Chappell

Published on September 18th, 2009Posted in local food, nutrition and health, organics

With all the news surrounding food safety, global pollution, misguided government food policies, and the myriad of other problems faced by consumers, it’s always comforting to occasionally read some good news. Here’s a bit of uplifting news. An organization, Edible Schoolyard, bringing gardening knowledge to junior high school kids in urban areas.

The program strives to teach inner city youth about gardening and consuming fresh, seasonal produce. From its own website, Edible Schoolyard specifically defines its goal of involving students “in all aspects of farming the garden and preparing, serving, and eating food as a means of awakening their senses and encouraging awareness and appreciation of the transformative values of nourishment, community, and stewardship of the land.”

» See also: Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food: Significant Fresh Visions from the USDA

Alice Waters, one of the founders of the program has also recently written a book, also entitled “Edible Schoolyard“, detailing the program and its efforts to bring gardening education to local youth. You can visit the Edible Schoolyard website, and learn about their mission to educate youngsters in the world of growing their own produce, consuming a healthy diet, and becoming more self sufficient.

If you happen to be looking for a worthy organization to donate a few dollars to, motivation to get out into your own garden with your own kids, or just simply a positive story in times of negativity, you should check out the Edible Schoolyard website.

This isn’t by any means the only organization to promote gardening for school children, but they were one of the first, integrating gardening in their curriculum since 1995. Other resources for introducing gardening to school kids include KidsGardening.org and CitySprouts.org, just to name a few. These links also offer guidance for people interested in starting a program similar to Edible Schoolyard in their town, or at their local school