The Edible Schoolyard

 The Edible Schoolyard

    What does a certain school in California have that most other schools don't have? King Middle School has a garden. The garden is part of a cooking and gardening program called the Edible Schoolyard. The idea for the program came from Alice Waters. Waters started a restaurant that makes food from fresh ingredients.

    Something delicious is always growing in the garden. Students are learning a different type of ABCs--asparagus, beans, and carrots! They grow fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Teachers and students work together in the program. Parents and local farmers support the program.

    In the garden, students take care of the soil and plants. They harvest the crops. Students can explore and sample new foods directly from the garden. They learn firsthand the ways in which fresh food is healthy for your body. A classroom kitchen is also part of the program. In the kitchen, students prepare and eat healthy dishes made from the food they grow.

    Teachers at the school use the garden and kitchen activities to extend the learning in other subject areas, too. For example, students learn information about plants and the relationships between living things and their environment.

    Both the garden and the program are growing, and word of this program is spreading. Other schools across the country have started their own edible schoolyards.