Improving Nutrition Through
School and Community Gardens
Jill A Nolan, PhD
Assistant Professor of Health Education
Concord University
KidStrong Conference
Charleston WV
June 12, 2013
Childhood Obesity
• West Virginia has one the highest rates of Childhood
obesity nationally
• An estimated 45.5% of WV 5th graders are overweight or
obese (CARDIAC)
• Children in Rural areas have been found to be at
increased risk for overweight and obesity (Patterson, 2004)
Obesogenic Environment
• Historically, Thin Population (Long, 2012)
• Elevated rates of Poverty
• How does the Environment in WV Support
• Inactivity?
• Poor Nutrition?
Fruits and Vegetables
• Essential for good nutrition
• Struggle for children raised on
processed foods
• How to improve fruit and vegetable
consumption??
• Increase Availability and Accessibility
• School-based programs (Blanchette & Brug, 2005)
School Gardening Benefits
• Quantitative findings:
• Fruit and vegetable consumption
• Variety (Ratcliffe, et al., 2011)
• Science scores
• Qualitative findings:
• Pleased and motivated students
• Improved school attitude and Price
• Parent involvement
• Community building (Blair, 2009)
Traditional School Gardens
• Located at the School
• Built into the current curriculum (science and
Health)
• Incorporate community involvement
• Students are involved:
• Soil health
--Planting
• Composting
--Fertilizing
• Plant selection
--harvesting
Child Gardening Options
• Green House
• Low tunnel
• High tunnel
• Summer School
Child Gardening Options
• Kids Garden Project (citation)
• Kingwood WV
• Children Grow Individual
Gardens
• Edible Forest Gardens
• Mimic forest ecosystem
• Grow food, fuel, fiber,
etc.
Child Gardening Options
• Daycare
• Benefit of having children year-round
• Target children during “picky” years
Influential factors
• Teacher motivation
• Teacher knowledge
• Teacher experience
• Dedicated time
• Community involvement
Getting Started!
• Evaluate Available Space
• Identify resources/partnerships
• Check Soil Health
• Design Challenge
• Plant Palette
• Build and use your garden (USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative)
Discussion Groups
• Daycare/Prek
• Elementary
• Middle/High School
• Higher Education
• Community
References
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Blair, D. (2009) The child in the garden: An evaluative review of the benefits of school gardening. The Journal of
Environmental Education, 40(2), 15-38.
Blanchette, L. & Brug, J. (2005). Determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption among 6-12-year-old children
and effective interventions to increase consumption. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 18(6), 431-443.
CARDIAC. Retrieved on May 13, 2013 from: http://www.cardiacwv.org/results.php
Komosinski, M., Nolan, J., O’Hara Tompkins, N., Drake, B., et al. Growing Healthy Habits in Rural West Virginia
Communities: Evaluation of the Kingwood Kids Garden Project. Presented at the American Public Health
Associations XXX annual meeting in Denver, , CO.
Long, K. (2012) The Shape We’re In. Charleston Gazette, retrieved on May 13, 2013 from:
http://www.wvgazette.com/News/theshapewerein/201202250085
Patterson, PD, et al. Obesity and physical inactivity in rural America. J Rural Health, 2004. 20(2): p. 151-9.
Ratcliffe, M., Merrigan, K., Rogers, B., & Goldberg, J. (2011). The effects of school garden experiences on middle
school-aged students’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors associated with vegetable consumption. Health
Promotion Practice, 12(1), 36-43.
USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative. School Garden Checklist. Retrieved on May 13, 2013 from:
http://www.letsmove.gov/sites/letsmove.gov/files/pdfs/LM%20School%20Garden%20Checklist_0.pdf
Pictures
• http://voiceinthegarden.blogspot.com/2011/01/hoop-house-high-tunnel-polytunnel.html
• http://www.veggiegardeningtips.com/blanketing-the-garden-for-a-long-winters-slumber/
• http://www.goveganic.net/article157.html