Kosciusko Lower Elementary School is receiving a $29,000 grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield to create an “edible garden” where students will plant and harvest their own food, and be able to cook and eat it as well. This initiative will help preschoolers, kindergarteners, and first graders learn the importance of agriculture and understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.
KLE counselor Tracy Risher, who authored the grant application, said teachers will educate young students about a plant’s entire life cycle. Then, students will plant their produce and watch it grow from the ground before harvesting it themselves.
School Principal Dr. Michelle Nowell said teaching students about eating healthy in Pre-K, kindergarten, and first grade will help those habits continue to form as the children grow.
The school has had a garden before but were lacking in produce, tools, and other things needed for it to be sustainable. With the incoming grant, the outcome is expected to be much more efficient. Alongside the garden, a greenhouse will also be added. Each child will receive his own gloves, tools, and baskets.
Classrooms will be getting supplies as well, including blenders for students to make their own fruit smoothies. Each class will also have a hot plate so that they can pick from the garden what they want to eat each day and immediately cook it themselves in the classroom with teacher assistance.
Nowell is already envisioning children growing turnip greens, radishes, and rutabagas. She also sees the healthy eating initiative transferring into students’ homes.
“That is the big picture. Just like we teach them to read, they take that and transfer that learning to everything they do. We thought that we would start it right here in Pre-K,” said Nowell.
Risher said they plan on growing strawberries and even planting apple trees. She hopes children will be able to learn about the produce, and then be able to identify healthier options when grocery shopping with their parents.
“When they go to the grocery stores, instead of going into the chip aisle, they can say, ‘Oh, I’d like a smoothie instead, Mom. Let me show you how to make one.’ We are going to start them out young and hope it builds them on to where they can eat healthier and be exposed to some new things,” said Risher.
Risher and Nowell both came from families that grew their own food. Nowell said that society seems to have gotten away from that. She is familiar with planting peas, okra, corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and string beans — and still does so at her home today.
“We have gotten away from the way we were raised, to appreciate the work that goes into putting food on the table. As you know, we're one of the most obese states in the United States,” Nowell said. “Now, we have this initiative to eat healthy. I know that's why Blue Cross Blue Shield is doing this, to prolong the lives of people.”
Part of growing produce is tending to a garden. Nowell said students will learn how to properly garden, harvest, and care for their produce in order to maintain the garden. She emphasized that this garden belongs to the students.
The pair also want students and the community as a whole to understand that one does not have to own a tractor, tiller, or other farm equipment to have an effective garden. The KLE garden will use raised beds, which Nowell said anybody can do at home.
“You can have a garden just by having raised beds at home. Even in a small backyard, you can buy the soil, use boards, and create a raised bed,” she said.
The building process for the edible garden will be underway for the rest of this month and into September. By October or November, KLE students will begin planting.
