With Happy Meals at only $1.99, it is easy to see why America has such an overweight population in our children. The lunchrooms at our public schools have also been long void of the nutrition that will keep kids' minds alert and able to learn. However, because of this, there is a recent trend in schools establishing edible gardens. Thanks to teachers like Sheri Padgett-Giorda of Central High in Hernando County, students are getting a chance to grow their own food.
Sheri got started with gardens about three years ago when her students, and the ninth-grade center embarked on learning more about energy conservation and going green. She has been writing grants in order to get funding for their program and offers some advice for teachers or others in the community. She says getting started can be as easy as "planting the seed" with teachers who are of like mind, community groups such as Boys and Girls Club or Garden Clubs to work outreach with local elementary, middle, or high schools. SWFTMD offers SPLASH grants each year, and there are Federal grants from the energy department as well. She also gets help from the staff at Green World Path, a company who manufactures organic products for soil.
This article appears in Nov 18-24, 2010.