A Nutrition and
Gardening program
for youth
Eating from the Garden
Encourages 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 (Starting
2nd next 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--allowing
time for simple preparation of
fruits and vegetables.
Eating from the Garden
program 2009/2010 in
Jackson County
• 27 schools and community centers
• Approximately 700 fourth & fifth
grade children enrolled
Changes in Student Behaviors
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)
More aware of the importance of good nutrition
94%
(15)
0%
(0)
6%
(1)
87%
(13)
7%
(1)
7%
(1)
Make healthier meal and/or snack choices
81%
(13)
0%
(0)
19%
(3)
73%
(11)
13%
(2)
13%
(2)
More willing to try new foods
94%
(15)
0%
(0)
6%
(1)
93%
(13)
0%
(0)
7%
(1)
Improved hand washing
87%
(13)
7%
(1)
7%
(1)
64%
(9)
29%
(4)
7%
(1)
Improved food safety (other than hand washing)
50%
(8)
0%
(0)
50%
(8)
53%
(8)
13%
(2)
33%
(5)
Increased physical activity
69%
(11)
0%
(0)
31%
(5)
73%
(11)
13%
(2)
13%
(2)
Use good food safety with garden produce
64%
(9)
0%
(0)
36%
(5)
50%
(7)
14%
(2)
36%
(5)
More aware of the environment
87%
(13)
0%
(0)
13%
(2)
73%
(11)
13%
(2)
13%
(2)
Have a sense of responsibility when caring for
plants in the garden
94%
(15)
0%
(0)
6%
(1)
87%
(13)
7%
(1)
7%
(1)
Show interest in growing fruits and vegetables for
better health at their homes
69%
(11)
6%
(1)
25%
(4)
73%
(11)
13%
(2)
13%
(2)
What did you learn?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“Vegetables are good”
“To eat healthier and have more vegetables and fruit”
“You should go outside for one hour everyday.”
“Eat one of everything on MyPyramid”
“Wash fruits and vegetables before you eat them”
“How to read food labels”
“You can’t always trust ads”
“Freeze fruits and vegetables if not eating so they won’t rot”
“To taste things before judging”
“To eat vegetables you’ve never tried”
“When you cut lettuce from the garden it is chewy”
What did you learn?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
“You can’t put plants too close”
“The bugs we try to kill make our garden grow”
“Some bugs can hurt or eat your plants”
“That sweet potatoes grow under ground”
“You don’t need to push the seeds so hard”
“What plants grow in sun”
“Plants get energy from the sun and the leaves suck it in”
“Plants need a lot of water”
“Plants need water, dirt, and the sun”
“You can make compost out of dried grass”
“Worms help plants”
“The right time to plant”
Eating from the Garden is
a teamwork program
• Nutrition portion can be done
by nutrition educators
• Gardening portion needs to be
taught by others. Examples might be
4H educators or volunteers, master
gardeners, trained community
volunteers
FNEP can provide nutrition
materials and food
But you will need funds
for gardening supplies
such as seeds, dirt,
plants, and garden
equipment
Eating from the Garden Area
Partners in Jackson County:
Master Gardener’s of Greater Kansas City
Kansas City Community Gardens
University of Missouri Afterschool 4H
University of Missouri Extension Family
Nutrition Education Program
Lydia’s Italian Restaurant
Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas
City
Kansas City Community
Gardens
Helps us build
the gardens
and train our
volunteers
Through funds from the
Health Care Foundation of
Greater Kansas City
We are building and
utilizing garden beds
in schools and
community centers
to help kids see how
they can grow fresh
fruits and vegetables
in their own
gardens.
Trained volunteers are an
important part of our
program
• Expanded our program from
seven to 27 locations
• Assist teachers who have little
time to take on another program
• Provide nutrition & gardening
support to teachers
• Incorporating their personal
skills and enthusiasm
Nutrition Garden Volunteers
receive 30 hours of training in the
following areas:
• Making healthy food choices
• Harvesting and storing
fresh fruits and vegetables
• Using labels at the grocery
store
• Using safe food practices
• Working with youth
• Fruit & vegetable gardening
• Maintaining a healthy soil
• Natural pest control
• Hands-on horticulture
Behavior changes from
volunteers:
• “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
MyPyramid 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 Volunteers
choose activities for 30 hours of
volunteering:
• Promotion and
recruitment of
schools
• Garden site
development and
management
• Summer garden
maintenance
• Team teaching
curriculum
• Planting with
teachers and kids
Nutrition Garden
Volunteers
• Have held 4 trainings in two years
for about 60 volunteers
• About 40 actively supporting the
program presently
Nutrition Garden
Volunteers
• Last year they gave 870
hours during training
and contributed over 700
hours in the classroom
and garden.
• This is a dollar value of
$26,988 based on a
volunteer rate of
$17.19/hour.
Sustainability
• Trained volunteers can
continue to work with
schools to maintain
program
• Schools can obtain small
grants for materials
• Local businesses can
sponsor a school garden
Classroom Teachers
• An integral part of our
program
• Support in the classroom
• Coordination of the plant
science activities
• Maintenance of the outdoor
garden
Classroom Teachers
• Estimate about 425 hours have
been given to the program last year
• Dollar value of $7306
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)
Already
Practicing
(n)
More aware of the importance of good
nutrition
56%
(9)
6%
(1)
38%
(6)
93%
(14)
7%
(1)
0%
(0)
Make healthier meal and/or snack choices
44%
(7)
6%
(1)
50%
(8)
93%
(14)
7%
(1)
0%
(0)
More willing to try new foods
75%
(12)
0%
(0)
25%
(4)
80%
(12)
20%
(3)
0%
(0)
Improved hand washing
50%
(8)
0%
(0)
50%
(8)
88%
(14)
13%
(2)
0%
(0)
Improved food safety (other than hand
washing)
44%
(7)
0%
(0)
56%
(9)
79%
(11)
21%
(3)
0%
(0)
Increased physical activity
31%
(5)
19%
(3)
50%
(8)
81%
(13)
19%
(3)
0%
(0)
Practice good food safety with garden
produce
63%
(10)
6%
(1)
31%
(5)
75%
(12)
25%
(4)
0%
(0)
Encourage students to be responsible for
garden care
88%
(14)
6%
(1)
6%
(1)
94%
(15)
6%
(1)
0%
(0)
More awareness of the environment
56%
(9)
6%
(1)
38%
(6)
100%
(16)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
Interest in growing fruits and vegetables for
better health at home
69%
(11)
19%
(3)
13%
(2)
81%
(13)
19%
(3)
0%
(0)
Make/offer healthier food choices for
students
56%
(9)
19%
(3)
25%
(4)
Responses by Teachers
• “Enchanting program. Hope to have
you again next year. It has been
meaningful and applicable to our
students. Thank you for a job well
done.”
• The program is outstanding – I see the
carry over to their studies and every
day habits! This is a great addition to
my health curriculum!
• I am more aware of including color in
my own diet as well as portion size
and food group daily
recommendations.
• I loved what I saw of the program—
kids loved the garden and eating from
it. They thought of it as their garden.
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.
• Will be invited this year to
visit class with their child to
see chef presentation.
Responses by Parents
• “Even though we’ve had a garden to
grow vegetables before, my son is more
interested in how important it is to have a
garden of fruits and vegetables at home.”
• “I would like to see parents be involved in
the projects and the garden.”
• “Thank you for giving my child an
opportunity that I could not. This has
helped her to choose fruits and vegetables
over junk food snacks.”
• “This program helped my child because she
has been eating fruits and vegetables.”
Growing Seasons for School
Gardens
• Plant September 1st and 2nd
weeks for fall crops
• Radishes, 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
Layouts
Containers
Plots
Greenhouses
Evaluation
• Consultation from the University of
Missouri Kansas City
• Parent questionnaires evaluated increase in
consumption of fruits and vegetables and
interest in gardening.
• Teacher questionnaires evaluated changes in
students and themselves.
• Children completed pre- and post-tests for
knowledge and eating habit changes.
• Volunteers completed surveys after training
and after the 30 hours of volunteer time.
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
Getting Started in your
Region
• Plan ahead
• Start with accessibility
• Generate partnerships
• Get everyone involved
• Start Small
• Expand the program
Planning ahead
• Promote program in spring
of previous year
• Speak with teachers and
principals of sites currently
teaching
• Get an idea of where
there is interest and
where it is possible
Start with Accessibility
• Schools that are gardening
• Outdoor gardens
constructed
• Greenhouse on site
• Outdoor space available
• Gardening funds
possible
Generate Partnerships
• Teachers are the best place to start
• Master Gardeners
• 4-H, Afterschool programs
• Local garden clubs
• Parents
• Local community gardens
Get Everyone Involved
• Teachers and Administrators
• Parent workdays and harvest
celebrations
• Lunch room
• Get the word out
Start Small
• Follow along with
curriculum when
planting
• Containers and inground beds
• One or two classes
Expand the Program
• Field trips
• Chef demonstrations
• Harvest days in lunchroom
• Give food to local agencies
• Send food home with
students
• Special events
Resources for gardening
supplies and information
• Area community gardens
• Master Gardener Hotline
• Local nurseries, farmers,
gardening clubs
• Gardening Grants
• Boy Scouts
Brainstorming
1. Are you interested in a
nutrition/gardening program?
2. Who would your partners be?
3. What schools or community centers
would you want to contact?
4. What source for garden funds could
you investigate?
Team Members
Rachael McGinnis Millsap, BS, Nutrition
Garden Coordinator
Molly Fusselman, BA, Volunteer
Coordinator
Karen Elliott, MS, Nutrition and Health
Education Specialist
Lala Kumar, MS, Horticulture Specialist
Cindy Zluticky, MS, Community
Development Specialist, County
Program Director
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
mcginnisr@missouri.edu