Edible Schoolyard

K* P*

Dear Chris and others,

You aren't the first person to make the mistake of thinking that The Edible
Schoolyard is growing food for the school cafeteria, but that is not the
case.  That is a longterm goal but at present there is no school cafeteria
and no school lunch program.  There is a kitchen classroom and some of the
produce from the garden is used in the cooking classes.  

The Edible Schoolyard is not primarily a food production garden.  It is a
place for children to co-create a garden and engage in a wide range of
activities. In addition to gardening they build shade structures, retaining
walls, huge birds' nests, trellises, paths and ponds. They dig rivers,
weave fences, have fun, have conversations and have water fights. They grow
vegetables, fruits, flowers and herbs. This is a one-acre garden and there
are 900 students at the school. So even when there is a cafeteria, the
yields from the garden will, of course, be only a small part of what is
needed to feed 900 students. Meanwhile, the garden plays many other roles
in the lives of the children, the school and the community.

best wishes,

Karen Payne
American Community Gardening Association

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