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Planning a YouthGardening Program

Youth Gardening Program Planning Document

December 8th, 2009

Presented by:Vinnie Bevivino

EFNEP Gardening and Nutrition Educatorand

J on TraunfeldDirector, Home and Garden Information Center

State Master Gardener Coordinator



Youth gardening programs are often more complexthen typical nutrition education programs

Nutrition educators with limited resources have tobuild and organize a team to have successful schoolgardening programs

This presentation will give you the tools to build agardening team, establish goals, design a program,build a garden, and have lasting success



Creating a Garden Team

Establishing Goals

Designing the Garden to Meet The Goals

Educational Resources to Meet The Goals

Physical and Human Resources Needed



Building ASchool Garden Team


Dont Start With The Books Cover, Start With The Plot!

Commitment from site staff make for a more enduring and successfulgarden.

What is a school gardening team?

Who is part of the gardening team? Who leads this team?

What does the gardening team do?

What does the gardening team need? How can you facilitate that?



What is a School Gardening Team?

Group of people to share the decision making, ownership, and workload of a school garden

Takes responsibility off of UME educator

Creates an enduring system that will last beyond any single person

Who Leads a School Garden Team?

Garden Coordinator an excited teacher, UME staff


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Who is Part of the School Gardening Team?Who needs to know about the team?

School administrators CustodianWho should play an active role in the team?

UME educatorsTeachers Custodian Other school staff Parents Community volunteers

Who Leads a School Garden Team?Garden Coordinator an excited teacher, UME staff



What Does a School Garden Team Do?

Gives authority to build a school garden

Define the goals and activities of the gardening program

Divides and shares the responsibility and ownership ofthe garden design, use, and maintenance



What Does a School Garden Team Need to BeSuccessful?

Agreement on how the garden will be maintained andused

Training

Resources



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Defining The Program




Finding Shared Goals

What are yourgoals?Increased fruit and vegetable consumption

Understanding of where food comes from Acquiring experience in growing food Sample fresh garden produceIncrease in physical activity


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Finding Shared Goals

What are the goals of others in the gardening team?Increase in test scores / academic achievement

Curricular connections to state standardsImproved behavior

Hands-on, exciting activitiesSchool beatification or greening

Flower or butterfly gardens, connection to cafeteriaEntrepreneurial

School farmers marketMany other potential goals



Defining Your Current Situation

Who is your audience? Age / Grade Level

Unique demographics

When will gardening occur throughout the year?

When are there staff to run the programs?

When is it not realistic to have a gardening program?

Are there site limitation or assets?



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Garden Design andGardening Tips

What Type of Garden?


Depends on garden goals, time, andavailable spaces

containers, in-ground, indoor?

Start small:

containers in a courtyard

a good starter size for in-ground is 50-75 sq. ft.

Site IssuesDirect sunlight

6-8 hours for summer crops- tomato, pepper, corn,melon

3-4 hours for leafy greens

Near a reliable water source

Level ground; well-defined, wide paths

Avoid trees, shrubs, and buildings where possible

Make sure you have access to every part of your garden


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Containers

Portable and easy to manage

No digging in the soil; non-permanent

Instant garden - instant success

Can possibly use them indoors

Self-wateringContainers

Home-made 5-gallon plasticbucket garden. Plans in fact

sheet HG #600.

Overflow hole in the side, notthe bottom. This creates a 2-in. reservoir for water.

Roots grow through growingmedia into water. Increasesplant access to water andsreduces watering time.

EarthBox EarthBox

http://www.earthbox.com/education/index.php

EDUCATOR DISCOUNTS!

University of MDSalad Table

Simple MaterialsEasy to Build


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Salad Table features

Cost about $35 each in materials;

takes 2-3 hours to build

58long X 31wide X 3.5-5.5deep

Growing area surface- 11.1 sq. ft.

Produce 1-2 lbs. of salad greens ateach harvest

Salad Box - 15 in. X 21 in.

Lets Have aWorkshop!

FrederickCo. MGs

Charles Co.MGs

Mixed Greens Cut at1 Above Soil Line

Contender SnapBeans

Increase Depth to 9 withSecond Frame


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Tumbling Tom Tomato inDeep Salad Table

What About Soil?

Soil- made of sand, silt, and clay plus organic matterand pore space.

urban/suburban soils are often compacted and lowin fertility

always test soil for lead content (see HGIC on-linefact sheets HG #18, HG #110, HG #110a)

Soillessmix- very good for containers

peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, compost, coir

Potting soil- quality will vary widely

Add Compost andOrganic Matter!

Commercial compost: LeafGro (can be purchased bythe bag or truck load); check with your county/citylandfills and garden centers.

Every garden needs compost bins.

Sources of organic matter: shredded leaves, grassclippings (no herbicides), spent plants. Avoid animalmanure and food scraps.

Organic matter should make up 25% of the volume ofyour topsoil (top 8 inches).

Sheet Compost Your Wayto a New Vegetable Garden

Ready to Plant- Not aShovelful of Soil Was Turned! Raised Beds

Keeps kids off the soil

Easier to weed and water

More productive per sq. ft. of garden space

Gives the garden definition and permanence

Garden beds may either be surrounded by anenclosure or built up with sloped sides and noenclosure.


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Raised Bed Basics

2-4 ft. wide; usually 6-8above grade; can be

borderedwith wood, stone, brick

Instantraised bedfilled with a purchased

soil/compost mix

Raised Beds for a NeatLook and High Yields

Fence Out the CrittersWhat Should We

Grow?Some of the easiest vegetables are bush bean,

tomato, cucumber, pepper, lettuce, summer squash,and leafy greens (Swiss chard, kale, mustard, etc.).

Group plants by what season they grow in and howlong they take to come to maturity.

Early, short-season crops, like lettuce, can give wayto late season crops after harvest.

Salad greens and radish mature quickly- 25-45 days.

Bright LightsSwiss Chard

Salad Greens in September

Raised bed ofAsian leafy

greens

Takes 40-60 daysfrom seed toharvest.Leafy greens canbe spaced closelyfor cut-and-come-againharvesting.


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Give Your Plants theRoom They Need

Small seeds are hard forlittle hands to sow!

Thinning plants to thedesired spacing isnecessary.

Growing and plantingtransplants is anadvanced technique;makes the garden moreproductive.

Growing Up: UsingVertical Space

Increase yields/sq. ft. (pole bean, cucumber, tomato)Fewer fruit problems; easier to pick, water, and spray.Adds complex texture to garden; enhances ecosystem(shading, micro-climates.)

Garden Maintenance

Keep it neat, attractive, and productive. Need a planand schedule to:

Harvest produce regularly; pick up and discardrotted vegetables

Mow grass around garden; cut and pull weeds

Maintain a thick mulch around plants, betweenrows, and in paths

Water, fertilize, re-plant

Educational Program


What are your educational goals

Connected to overall garden goals

What curriculum are you going to use?

Growing Healthy Habits

Others needed to meet specific goals

What training will you and the garden team need?

Page 5 on your handout



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Resources Needed


What are the physical resources that you will need?

Keep in mind your gardens goals. Dont do more

than you need!

Nutrition education needs

Gardening needs

Page 4 on your handout


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Resources Needed


What do you really need?

No garden, simple inside demonstrations Seeds, potting soil, fertilizer, food preparation and serving

materials, sunlight

Simple outside container garden

Containers, watering cans, seedlings, harvesting equipment

Outside raised bed garden

Fencing, hoses, lumber, mulch, hand tools

Resources Needed


How much money are you going to need?

Do a garden budget

Share fundraising responsibility with garden team

Funds are needed to build a garden and then tomaintain a garden

Design the garden based on your means

Where are you going to get the money?

Donations

Grants

Resources Needed


Its not all about money!

What human capital will you need to build thegarden?

Expertise, volunteer labor

More help needed for larger gardens

What human capital will you need to maintain thegarden?

When is help needed most?

More help needed for larger gardens



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LinkingMaryland Extension to

Maryland Schools

FoodSmart Impact Team


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HealthSmart Impact TeamNext Steps

Future Trainings

Questions FAQ

Follow-up Evaluations

December

During Year

Evaluation

Youth

System

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