2023 School Garden Resource Sheet

Each year, we update a list of links to websites, curriculum, funding, and other resources for school gardens. This year’s update includes information on worms, designing gardens for all abilities, and soil blockers. Do you have a favorite resource? Email goodfoodday@eatsouth.org.

Garden Resources for Educators

E.A.T. South

E.A.T. South is a River Region resource for gardening information. We host a free seed swap in February, give transplants to schools in March & April, and organize (almost) monthly workshops on all kinds of garden topics from how to grow your own transplants to organic gardening to building rain barrels. 

In the past, we have organized workshops just for teachers at the farm and presentations at schools. Contact farmer@eatsouth.org if you are interested in educator-focused garden workshops. 

• Follow us on Facebook and Instagram

• Join the Sprouts Garden Education Group on Facebook

• Take your class on a Good Food Day Field Trip! Contact goodfoodday@eatsouth.org for more information. 

General Gardening Resources

• Alabama Cooperative Extension Services, Planting Guide for Home Gardening in Alabama, this is the BEST free resource for knowing what to plant when. 

• Grow More Give More, Program of Alabama Cooperative Extension Service that encourages gardeners to share extra produce with neighbors, food pantries and food banks. The Grow More Give More website includes videos to teach you gardening skills, materials lists for building different styles of gardens, and a lot more!

• SOW App - App with Seasonal planting guide for Alabama available on your smartphone 

• iNaturalist - App for identifying plants, animals, insects

• Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast, Ira Wallace, book that provides month-by-month guides to gardening in the south. If you buy one how-to garden book, this is the best.

• Johnny’s Selected Seeds - Seed company with great “how to grow” information

How to Guides for School Gardens

• Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Resource Center takes you, step-by-step, through the process of building your school garden, from making the case for a garden to your principal to celebrating your garden’s successes. 

• Four Steps to Cultivating a School Garden Program & Seven Steps to Creating a Garden,  Mississippi Farm to School Network, Short resource that will help you plan, site, and form your garden committee. Get your garden growing right! 

• Getting Started, Junior Master Gardener Program, tips for planning and starting your garden

• The Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea, Alice Waters, inspirational book about building a garden at a middle school in Berkeley, CA. Good resource to show doubtful school administrators and staff.

• How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers, book

• Nature Study and Gardening for Rural Schools, George Washington Carver, 1910 pamphlet about school gardens 

Research on Learning Outcomes for Gardens and Outdoor Education

• Children and Nature Network - Information on benefits of nature for improving health and educational outcomes for children.

• Greening Schoolyards project supports turning school outdoor spaces into more natural areas. 

Curriculum Resources
For K-12

• Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program, Alabama Wildlife Federation, An outdoor classroom can include a vegetable garden. Alabama Wildlife Federation provides training, curricula, funding for outdoor classrooms, grants for existing outdoor classrooms, and a great monthly newsletter with ideas of what to teach and grow each month. 

• Project Learning Tree uses the environment to engage students in learning, both indoors and outside. Curriculum, training for teachers, and more.

• Schoolyard Roots, Alabama School Garden Curriculum, K-5 garden-based math and science curriculum following Alabama standards, Cooking in the Classroom is a free online resource to help you cook with your students. 

• Edible Schoolyard Project, the Edible Schoolyard Network connects educators around the world to build and share a K-12 edible schoolyard curriculum. Website compiles curricula from across the country. Free online training for teachers.

• National Farm to School Network resource page collects resources for farm to school programs, curricula, and more from across the country

• The Junior Master Gardener Program has elementary and middle school curriculum.

• Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program - Resources and plants for schools

• Minnesota Ag in the Classroom - Full K-12 curriculum available in printable PDF format online, garden guides, online classes, podcasts, virtual farm tours and more 

• Starting With Soil iPad app, one of many educational resources from the Center for Ecoliteracy

• University of Georgia Extension School Garden Resources, Cooking guides, curricula  (Mostly k-8) and more

• Life Lab School Gardens 

  • A Guide to Getting Started (printable PDF format) plus other free downloadable lessons

  • The Blogs tagged “lessons”

• The Great Sunflower Project - pollinators and flowers in the garden

• Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, named for a now extinct butterfly, this organization is dedicated to educating about insects, arachnids and mollusks. Lots of bug activities for kids. 

• School Garden Support Organization Network - Workshops, programs and a great monthly newsletter

• Wisconsin School Garden Network - Great monthly newsletter and curricula for all ages.

For Preschool

• Early Sprouts: Cultivating Healthy Food Choices in Young Children, book that can be used with or without a garden to encourage preschoolers to explore fresh food.

• Gardening with Young Children: the second Edition of Hollyhocks and Honeybees, book, Over 60 garden activities designed for preschoolers

• Learn, Grow, Eat and Go - Preschool garden curriculum from the Jr. Master Gardener program

• Farm to Preschool, national resource supporting garden education and healthy eating at preschools. Curricula, recipes, information for parents, policy information and national conferences.

Garden Grants 

• Whole Kids Foundation provides small grants for school gardens, lunchroom salad bars, and honey bee hive kits.

• Farm to Preschool grants page - list of organizations that offer grants for garden programs.

• KidsGardening.org Small garden grants and other school garden information

• Farm to School Grants - These are USDA grants that can be used to grow school garden programs

• Arts Tag Program will accept applications connected to art in the garden.

• Lowes, Home Depot, Wal Mart, ACE and other stores offer small grant or gift card programs that can help you buy materials you need to build a garden.

WORMS!!!!

Worms are excellent composters for the school environment, will eat left overs from snacks, and make the highest quality compost for the garden. 

• Vermicomposting, North Carolina State University, lots of worm composting information including information for schools. 

• Cheap & Easy Worm Bin, Washington State University, Plans a worm bin made out of two plastic totes.

Soil Blockers

Soil Blockers are tools that create potting soil cubes for starting seeds. To use a soil blocker, you need to create a special kind of potting mix like one in this recipe.  You can also start seeds in all kinds of recycled containers. 

Universal Design

• Universal Garden Design - ADA, Universal Design considers making spaces accessible to the greatest number of people.
  Sensory Trust is a British organization focused on gardens for all ages and abilities.