A Nutrition and
Gardening Program
for Youth
Goal of Eating from the Garden
We are encouraging
kids to eat more fruits
and vegetables by
growing gardens in
schools and community
centers.
During the program, kids are
learning about…
• Good nutrition (making
healthy food choices and
keeping food safe);
• The importance of eating
fruits and vegetables;
• How plants live and
grow;
• Planting and
maintaining a
garden;
• Caring for the
environment.
In addition, they are…
• Tasting a variety of
fruits and vegetables in
class;
• Doing activities using
seeds, plants, and soil;
• Going outside to plant
a garden;
• Learning about insects
in the garden;
• Harvesting vegetables
from our garden.
Eating from the Garden
• Targets 4th and 5th grades (Piloting
2nd again this fall).
• Program is biweekly in the spring
and fall and monthly during the
winter.
• Some locations are weekly with
more in-depth alternating
nutrition and gardening lessons.
Eating from the Garden program in
Kansas City in 2011/2012
• 37 schools and community centers
• Approximately 1200 second, fourth & fifth
grade children enrolled
Changes in Student Behaviors
(2011-2012 school year)
Have you observed this change in
your students?
Have your students talked about
this change?
Yes
(n)
No
(n)
Unsure
(n)
Yes
(n)
No
(n)
Unsure
(n)
90%
(26)
3%
(1)
7%
(2)
93%
(26)
4%
(1)
4%
(1)
65%
(19)
7%
(2)
28%
(7)
79%
(22)
11%
(3)
11%
(3)
86%
(19)
0%
(0)
14%
(4)
68%
(19)
18%
(5)
14%
(4)
Improved hand washing
52%
(15)
24%
(7)
24%
(7)
32%
(9)
43%
(12)
25%
(7)
Improved food safety (other than hand washing)
43%
(12)
21%
(6)
36%
(10)
39%
(11)
29%
(8)
32%
(9)
Increased physical activity
52%
(15)
17%
(5)
31%
(9)
67%
(18)
11%
(3)
22%
(6)
Use good food safety with garden produce
76%
(22)
0%
(0)
24%
(7)
64%
(18)
25%
(7)
11%
(3)
More aware of protecting our food supply
41%
(12)
21%
(6)
38%
(11)
37%
(10)
37%
(10)
26%
(7)
Have a sense of responsibility when caring for
plants in the garden
93%
3%
(1)
3%
(1)
92%
(24)
4%
(1)
4%
(1)
Show interest in growing fruits and vegetables for
better health at their homes
90%
7%
(2)
3%
(1)
88%
(23)
4%
(1)
8%
(2)
More aware of the importance of good nutrition
Make healthier meal and/or snack choices
More willing to try new foods
(27)
(26)
What did you learn?
• “You should try foods that you don’t know and try
foods that you don’t like.”
• “You need to play 60 minutes outside.”
• “Wash and use a scrub brush. Wash hands too.”
• “You need to look at the nutrition facts on the label”
• “People on advertisements lie sometimes.”
• “Freeze fruits and vegetables if not eating so they
won’t rot”
• “I choose to eat healthier foods now.”
• “Vitamin C helps your cold. Vitamin A helps you
see.”
• “Healthy foods are good for your body and mind,
help you focus on your work.”
What did you learn?
• “Some bugs are good for the garden.”
• “You should put the plant in deep enough
for its roots to grow. Give plants lots of
sun.”
• “That I liked to grow food.”
• “Always keep weeds out of the garden.
Keep the garden watered.”
• “You can make compost from scraps.”
• “You have to look at the back of the pack to
find out if it needs cold or warm weather.”
What do you like about the program?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Having the opportunity to try new things.”
“Getting to eat things from our own garden.”
“I think the best thing was tasting all the yummy foods.”
“Trying pomegranate and peas.”
“Taste testing.”
“Getting to make a garden at school.”
“When we made zucchini rolls with a toothpick and lots of herbs.
“Gardening is fun; it’s better eating that way, and it was good
and healthy.”
“Having the chef lady come.”
“Having fun with my classmates.”
“I got to help a whole lot.”
“I got to harvest plants.”
Classroom Teachers
• An integral part of our program
• Support in the classroom
• Coordination of the plant science
activities
• Maintenance of the outdoor
garden
Changes in Teacher Behaviors
Have you made this change since our
program?
Do you talk about or model this
behavior in front of students?
Yes
(n)
No
(n)
Already
Practicing
(n)
Yes
(n)
No
(n)
61%
(17)
0%
(0)
39%
(11)
96%
(26)
4%
(1)
57%
(16)
4%
(1)
39%
(11)
100%
(27)
0%
(0)
57%
(16)
4%
(1)
39%
(11)
96%
(25)
4%
(1)
Improved hand washing
50%
(14)
4%
(1)
46%
(13)
100%
(26)
0%
(0)
Improved food safety (other than hand washing)
50%
(14)
11%
(3)
39%
(11)
67%
(18)
33%
(9)
Increased physical activity
46%
(13)
25%
(7)
29%
(8)
89%
(24)
11%
(3)
Practice good food safety with garden produce
68%
(19)
11%
(3)
21%
(6)
78%
(21)
22%
(6)
Encourage students to be responsible for garden care
93%
(25)
0%
(0)
7%
(2)
96%
(26)
4%
(1)
More awareness of the environment
64%
(18)
11%
(3)
25%
(7)
89%
(24)
11%
(3)
71%
14%
(4)
14%
(4)
82%
(22)
18%
(5)
11%
(3)
7%
(2)
89%
(24)
11%
(3)
More aware of the importance of good nutrition
Make healthier meal and/or snack choices
More willing to try new foods
Interest in growing fruits and vegetables for better health at
home
Make/offer healthier food choices for students
(20)
82%
(23)
Responses by Teachers
• “I absolutely love this garden program.
It helps children, families, and staff be
more nutritious-aware.”
• “It is a terrific program and enriches our
science curriculum. The students look
forward to seeing the volunteers.”
• “The Eating from the Garden program
will be something the students
remember forever and hopefully take
into adulthood—life-long gardening.”
State Standards Identified
• Missouri GLE’s (Grade level Expectations)
• Health: Grade 4:
– Identify the sources and basic functions of the six
essential nutrients including fiber, and locate five
essential nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, proteins,
vitamins, minerals) on food labels and recognize that
this information helps one make
healthy food choices
Other Areas
• Mathematics: Grade 4:
– collect data using observations, surveys
and experiments
• Science Grade 4:
– Identify the ways a specific organism
may interact with other organisms or
with the environment (e.g., pollination,
shelter, seed dispersal, camouflage,
migration, hibernation, defensive
mechanism)
Parent Involvement
• Receive newsletters with each
lesson encouraging them to serve
more fruits and vegetables and
offer healthier choices to their
children.
• Invited to visit class with their
child to see chef presentations.
Response to Parent Survey
Percentage of Responding
Parents (n=82)
Aware that your child was participating in a
nutrition and gardening program
88%
Read the Family Letters sent home after each
lesson
66%
Tried recipes or activities from the Family
Letters
56%
Aware of chef demonstrations with fruits and
vegetables at your child’s school/program
56%
Attended a chef demonstration with your
child
10%
Parent Responses
Figure 2. Parent-Reported Nutritional Changes at Home
during Year 3 (n= 77)
Provided children healthier snack options
90%
Percentage of Respondents
Talked with children about healthy eating
87%
86%
82%
Served children more fruits
Served children more vegetables
49%
Bought food from farmer's market
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Responses by Parents
• “I’m very appreciative of this program because
I have seen that she has eaten more fruits and
vegetables, and I’m glad she has started this great habit.”
• “It seems your program is the only time she will try
something green. She has a bad attitude about the color.”
• “Ever since she told me about the program, she has been
eating more fruits and vegetables more than ever.”
• “This is an amazing program. My daughter has grown
socially and academically. Would recommend to everyone!
Thank you!”
• “This is great. There are many adults who don’t eat
vegetables because of their childhood experiences with
them.”
• “I started a garden due to the garden club.”.
Volunteers and partners are an
important part of our program
• Assist teachers who have little time to
take on another program
• Provide nutrition & gardening support
to teachers
• Incorporating their personal skills and
enthusiasm
Eating from the Garden Partners:
University of Missouri Extension Family Nutrition
Education Program
Master Gardeners
Community Garden Organizations
4H and other youth programs
Behavior changes from
volunteers and partners:
• “I take longer to shop at the grocery store
because I have been paying attention to
the labels!”
• “I honestly have changed my eating
habits.”
• “More fruits and veggies, take MyPlate
more seriously, help others with it and
lead by example.”
Behavior changes
• “Improve and better plan my
gardens, test the soil, compost my
grass, leaves, and veggies. I’m not
afraid to start and I now have
resources to get supplies and
answers.”
• “I started having 1 to 2 cups of
vegetables for breakfast every
morning. I have lost 5 pounds.”
Nutrition garden partners can help
• Promotion and
recruitment of
schools
• Garden site development
and management
• Summer garden
maintenance
• Team teaching curriculum
• Planting with teachers and
kids
Sustainability
• Partners and volunteers can continue to
work with schools to maintain the program
• Schools can obtain small grants for
materials
• Local businesses can
sponsor a school
garden
Growing Seasons for School Gardens
School year
August 3rd week to May 4th week
Summer vacation--June, July & August
Winter holidays- Mid December-Mid
January
June, July & August active time for
growing and harvesting vegetables.
Growing Seasons for School Gardens
• September 1st and 2nd weeks for fall
crops
• Beets, Spinach, Lettuce, Collard
Greens, Turnips, Broccoli,
Cauliflower and Cabbage
• Harvest by end of November
• February 2nd week—seed starting
using Grow Labs
Growing Seasons for School Gardens
• March 2nd –April 2nd plant spring crops
• Radish, Carrot, Spinach, Lettuce, Onion bulbs,
Chards*, Potato*
• Strawberry* Dayneutral (Tribute & Tristar)
• May 2nd week plant summer crops
• Sweet Potato*,Tomato*
* Harvested after summer vacation
Evaluation
• Parent questionnaires evaluate increase in
consumption of fruits and vegetables and interest in
gardening.
• Teacher questionnaires evaluate changes in students
and themselves.
• Children complete pre- and post-tests for knowledge
and eating habit changes.
Challenges
• Matching of the school year with the growing
season.
• Maintaining a schedule for planting with challenges
of weather, changing school schedules, and
volunteer schedules.
Challenges
• Partners need time to develop
a comfort level in the
classroom and recognize what
it takes to maintain a learning
environment.
• Include more teacher and
parent interaction in the
trainings and program
development.
Outcomes
Although our overall goal is to encourage
children to try more fruits and vegetables
and be more physically active as a part of
our program, we are also looking at how
these experiences can affect their families
and the schools themselves.
We are working toward these goals:
More fruits and vegetables served in the
school cafeterias.
Healthier choices for snacks and classroom
activities
Fruits and vegetables grown on
site for occasional school lunches.
Implementation of farm to school
programs
Policy Changes
• We are getting students on field trips to farms and
gardens on a regular basis, so they have been getting
more fruits on their lunches.
• Our kitchen is more responsive to helping our students
prepare items grown from our garden.
• Students are engaged in getting knowledge about
gardening. The whole school sees the garden as a
learning tool for all.
• There are others in the building who are starting to
think more about how they could take advantage of
the courtyard garden beds and greenhouse. For
example, a special education teacher who will have the
classroom attached to the greenhouse next school year
asked to get all of my gardening contacts to help her
build something into her daily lessons.
Policy Changes
Scuola Vita Nova, Kansas City Missouri Charter School
• When extra garden produce is harvested, it is immediately
taken down to the school lunch room to be prepared for the
whole school for lunch.
Border Star Montessori, Kansas City Missouri
• 16 raised wood garden beds and expanding
• PTA formed garden committees.
• A garden coordinator with a chef background worked with all
grades on site for healthy cooking and chef demonstrations.
• Received grant to grow vegetables for sale in local farmer’s
market.
Thomas Ultican Elementary, Blue Springs, MO
• Afterschool coordinator works with the Freshman Center
agriculture educator and FFA advisor to incorporate high school
students in teaching the curriculum.
Mission Statement
The Eating from the Garden program provides
research based information to high needs youth
in schools and community programs through
nutrition and gardening activities to increase
consumption of fruits and vegetables, healthier
food choices, gardening knowledge, and physical
activity with help from area partners and
volunteers.
Contact us:
elliottk@missouri.edu
McGinnesr@missouri.edu
kumarl@missouri.edu
Fusselmanm@missouri.edu