1. Students Dig It.... Gardening with Youth Kiki Fontenot, PhD Home, School and Community Gardens

2. Benefits of Gardening Gain Responsibility Acquire new skills Eat healthier (try new foods) New learning environment Appreciate nature

3. Are School Gardens Really Making a Difference? Challenge youth to learn new skills Increase science scores Increase environmental stewardship

4. We’re Not Too Little!

5. Other Limits?

6. Don’t Push It!

7. Before You Start… Principal –Seek permission Participating teachers –Time restraints –Curriculum –Class information School Staff –Holiday schedules Volunteers –Sustainability Patrons –$$$ STUDENTS!!! –Interest

8. Garden Site Selection Space limitations –One vs. multiple gardens Proximity to classroom(s) –6-8 hrs of sunlight a day –Water source –Good drainage –Room for expansion START SMALL …. then have a 1 st …..5 th year plan

9. Garden Design Assign garden space to participants Raised beds vs. in-ground Theme Gardens –Pizza garden –Alphabet garden Multiple purpose gardens –Vegetable –Cut flower –Herb –Ornamental –Native plant Connecting the green space with hard-scape

10. Neat School Gardens

18. YOU CAN EVEN PLANT A REALLY ….. small garden

19. Seeking Help –Students are the #1 owners and workers –Parents –School Staff Janitorial Cafeteria Shop teacher –Master Gardeners –Local college faculty and students

20. Design Considerations –Let students design –Think about: In ground beds vs. raised beds or container gardening –Row/ Bed widths Row = 3ft Between rows 4-5ft –Row/ Bed heights 8-12 inches –Seating, composting, greenhouse areas

21. Soil Sample –Take 5 to 6 shovels of soil from garden beds –Mix in a bucket –Select one pint of soil out –Send to LSU Soils Lab ($10/sample- basic analysis only) Heavy metal analysis http://www.stpal.lsu.edu/

22. Planting the Garden –Plant and harvest crops within the school year

23. Maintaining the Garden Fertilize –Pre-plant fertilization –Side dressing Irrigate –Invest in a timer! –Drip hoses Weed Control –Hand pull, hoe, cultivate

24. Harvest Have a harvest party Keep it simple: –Pick, Wash, Eat –Materials Needed: Bowls and dressing

25. Connecting the Garden to the Classroom Use the garden as a classroom –Reading area –Math and measurements –Science (pollination, photosynthesis, life cycles) –Art (customize benches, borders, signs, paintings, murals, etc.)

26. Reading Activities Create a bulletin board about your garden 1. Read The Reason for a Flower by Ruth Heller 2. Have students look through garden/flower magazines and books. –Note the differences in flowers petals, stems, and leaves 3. Create paper flowers out of construction paper to decorate the bulletin board

27. Science/ Art Activities Learn the importance of scientific and common plant names. Learn the rules in writing them Create permanent labels for plants in the garden

28. Environmental Science Activities

29. Geography Activities

30. History Activities

31. Internet Technology Activities

32. Basic Knowledge Plant sunflower seeds with students observe them with your five senses

33. Fundraising Solicit Funding –Grants Captain Planet Foundation Gardenburger™ Target Home Depot Welch’s Grape Juice –Personal endowments –Fundraisers –Donations Local nurseries and hardware stores

34. School Garden Resources Facebook –Louisiana School Gardens Facebook Group –http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gi d=205990085731http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gi d=205990085731 LSU AgCenter –www.lsuagcenter.comwww.lsuagcenter.com –Lawn and Garden – Master Gardener – School Gardens Veggie Bytes School Garden Newsletter –www.lsuagcenter.com/veggiebyteswww.lsuagcenter.com/veggiebytes Steps to a Successful School Garden California School Garden Network –http://www.csgn.org/page.php?id=120http://www.csgn.org/page.php?id=120

35. HAVE FUN!

36. EAT WELL!

37. Questions? Contact Kiki Fontenot, PhD LSU AgCenter kkfontenot@agcenter.lsu.edu