Published 2017-05-15
Abstract
School garden popularity increases every day in Pinellas County. Our objective was to increase extension education in at least ten school gardens in Pinellas County in 2014, while also increasing the quality of existing school gardens. The extension agent and staff reached out to the school board, volunteers and the public to offer educational support. Additionally the team provided site visits, emails, fact sheets, grant funding information, links to the Farm to School program for school gardens, curriculum material information, and a one day School Garden Summer Camp for teachers. This event was held on a summer day so teachers could attend and offered free continuing education credits. Topics included in the training were vegetable gardening basics, composting, Farm to School information, garden planning, and gardening within the school calendar. Of the 53 teachers, parents, and other volunteers who attended, one hundred percent of attendees showed knowledge gain. Furthermore, the team aided in the establishment, expansion, or rejuvenation of eleven school gardens last year while linking three Master Gardener volunteers to several of these new school gardens for ongoing education.