School Gardens

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In This Section Section Home 2020-21 School Year Current Menus School Meal Box FAQ Locations Special Diets Our Food Menus Recipes Minnesota Thursdays Special Dietary Needs Nutrition + Ingredients Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Smart Snacks Vending Vending FAQ Application + Payments Application for Educational Benefits Application & Payment FAQ Payments Our Programs Farm to School Farms Local Foods Community BBQ Toolkit Farm Videos School Gardens Great Lakes Apple Crunch Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Waste Reduction Summer Program True Food True Food Chef Council True Food Taste Tests True Food Backgrounds Junior Iron Chef Education Videos Wellness Active School Day Active Recess Healthy Eating Smart Snacks in School Rethink Your Drink Healthy Celebrations & Rewards Safe Routes to School Program Summary Arrival and Dismissal Biking Education Bus Stop & Walk Maps Pedestrian Education Safe Routes Network Travel Plans Walk and Bike to School Events Walking Bus 2014 Highlight Email news Winter Cycling Congress MPS Teacher Resources WBF Let's Roll MPS Wellness Policy Sports Nutrition Urban Education Farm Feasibility Study Home Wellness Resources Catering & Food Trucks Vended Meals Contact Contact Us Employment + Internships Staff Directory CWS Staff Search	School Gardens Culinary & Wellness Services > Our Programs > Farm to School > School Gardens School Gardens School gardens are an meaningful way to provide experiential education about the environment, agriculture, nutrition. They can also tranform classroom curriculum into hands-on, interactive learning. Minneapolis Public Schools is home to over thirty school gardens, and that number grows every year! These gardens provide opportunities for students to be active participants in the local food system, grow their knowledge and skills, and build classroom community. Upcoming School Garden Webinar Produce Preservation and Garden Winterization Wednesday, September 30 4:15 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. REGISTER HERE Join Spark-Y and MPS CWS to learn about garden winterization and preservation of garden goodies! It's the perfect time of year to start preserving what's left of the garden produce. We will discuss preservation techniques including canning/jarring, fermentation, and root storage. We'll also talk about engaging youth in food preservation during distance learning. With colder weather right around the corner, we will also discuss garden winterization tips and tricks such as composting, mulching, cover cropping, and fall planting options. This webinar is free and open to all who are interested in supporting school gardens at MPS schools. School Gardens During COVID-19 Access to outdoor MPS school gardens during COVID-19 is permitted. To ensure safety for all students and adults in gardens, schools must follow these requirements when accessing gardens: Follow MDH guidance regarding hygiene and safe distancing. Staff and volunteers are responsible for their own PPE (personal protective equipment). Clean up garden space after each work session. Please note that NO interior building access is permitted. Maintain a sign-in sheet to track staff and volunteers in garden. Here is a sample sign-in sheet. Have handwash station(s) set-up on site when staff and volunteers are in garden. University of Minnesota Extension has some great tips for how to easily and affordably put together a handwash station, it doesn’t need to be fancy! Stay home if you are sick. Symptoms include: fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. For additional guidelines and recommendations for safe garden operations, please see: MDA COVID-19 Guidance for Minnesota Community Gardens City of Minneapolis' Community Garden Recommendations. School Garden Resources Starting a school garden has endless benefits - from providing hands-on learning activities, to increasing food literacy, to growing fresh food for your lunchroom - but it can be difficult to know where to start. Explore the resources, links, and guides below in order to learn about the steps to garden with your school. MPS Garden Guide This garden guide outlines the application process for establishing a MPS school garden. It includes garden planning tips, educational resources, garden safety, fundraising ideas, and ideas for increasing participation in school gardens. Creating and Growing Edible Schoolyards: A How to Manual for School Professionals A comprehensive manual from the Minnesota Department of Health for starting and sustaining school gardens in Minnesota, including garden planning worksheets and classroom activity ideas. MN School Gardening: A Guide to Gardening and Plant Science Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom developed a comprehensive gardening guide with lesson plans that correspond to Minnesota state standards. Getting Started: A Guide for Starting School Gardens as Outdoor Classrooms the Center for Ecoliteracy's guide for selecting a site, garden design, ideas for curriculum engagement, and strategies for building community support around school gardens. School Garden Checklist A basic checklist from Let’s Move for getting your school garden started, with considerations ranging from soil health to garden design. School Garden Design Webinar This webinar from LifeLab goes over smart design tips for your school garden, including strategies for how to keep your garden easy to manage while using it for a variety of classroom lessons. Each garden is tailored to a school’s needs - meaning all of the gardens are one-of-a-kind! Whether they are used for lessons outside the classroom, for growing food to sell to the cafeteria, or both, school gardens are a tool for students, staff, and the school’s broader community. To learn more about the program or to start a garden at your school, send us an email.		By the Numbers 33 schools have gardens where students can grow, observe, and learn about food! 9 school gardens grow produce for their lunchroom through our Garden to Cafeteria Program Food Safety in School Gardens Following safe growing, harvesting, and processing practices will prevent food safety from becoming a barrier to enjoying the local produce grown in your garden. Here are some resources to ensure that your garden is following the best practices to avoid foodborne illness. Food Safety Tips in School Gardens This tip sheet from the USDA details some best practices for food safety in school gardens, from planting to harvesting. MPS Garden to Cafeteria Food Safety Plan Template This template guides you through the process of writing a food safety plan - a requirement of our Garden to Cafeteria program. Whether you are planning to sell produce to your cafeteria or not, writing a food safety plan ensures that you consider all possible health and safety hazards in the garden. MN School Garden & Farm to Cafeteria Safety A manual to ensure food safety through thorough garden planning and safe harvesting practices. Grow It, Eat It: Food Safety in the School Garden An overview from the University of Maryland about where to site your garden, compost, soil, and water safety, pest and insect management, and health standards for working in the garden. Garden to Cafeteria Program Through our Garden to Cafeteria program, participating school gardens sell produce to their schools' cafeterias. During the 2019-2020 school year, ten schools participated in the Garden to Cafeteria program: Anthony Middle, Anwatin Middle, Edison High, Howe Elementary, Lyndale Elementary, Nellie Stone Johnson Elementary, Northeast Middle, Roosevelt High, and South High. To learn more about participating in the Garden to Cafeteria Program, email Kate Seybold.