Anyone interested in starting a school garden should read: “Getting Started: a Guide for Creating School Gardens”. The complete guide available for download from www.lifelab.org/store-curricula.html.

YVCC's school garden committee is currently working on winning support from rural Canyon Creek Elementary's Principal and School Board for developing a school garden there.

Here's an outline of the Guide's major points:

 Support from Principal (and School Board) necessary

 Ongoing involvement of teachers essential

 Basic goal for garden to be “owned and operated by students”

 Plan and implement community involvement and support strategy

 As important to involve teachers and students in garden design phase as in development and operation

 Keep track of progress in School Garden Journal

 Need summer strategies

 Fund part-time garden coordinator if at all possible

 Start small and build up over several years

Step 1: Go ahead from Principal and Board

Step 2: Design Phase

-recruit teachers for steering committee (plus community/parent reps, custodian)

-site selection (consider: 6 hours sunlight, drainage, water, accessibility, security)

-get an “ultimate” garden design proposal and map from each class which considers
class beds
common garden
special projects
outdoor classroom
composting (worms!) area
greenhouse or cold frame
storage for tools etc

-prepare a 3-year “consensus” development plan including maps

-work out elements of maintenance, volunteer and community outreach strategies

-obtain start-up tools, seeds and materials

Step 3: 3-Year Implementation Phase

YEAR ONE:
Lay out full garden design with stakes and twine, put up student-made
signs for everything planned, and mulch paths

Community Ground Breaking Day for Year 1 beds (or planters?), soil
preparation, planting, set up compost area

Write up & post year’s garden maintenance and class use schedules

Recruit volunteers and provide teaching/garden orientation workshops

YEAR TWO:
Add a Year 2 Community Ground Breaking Day for at least all class beds

Schedule maintenance, volunteers & volunteer orientation, class use

Host at least one community event--perhaps a harvest festival

YEAR THREE:
Add a Year 3 Community Ground Breaking Day to complete the garden design

Schedule maintenance, volunteers, class use, community event(s)

Hold brainstorming sessions on other garden–related activities (i.e. cooking classes,
school lunches, class fundraisers, expanded summer programs, experiments)