Re: school gardens

**C* B* <c*@twcny.rr.com>**

I read the article and understand what the author is saying. But her vision is so limited and California-centric. It's fine if you live there and have a 365 day growing season and exposure to fresh fruits and vegetables. My experience volunteering with 5th and 6th graders in a city school in upstate New York was that they'd never seen a worm; they were in big trouble if they got their ($$$) sneakers dirty; they had no idea that mint (as in toothpaste) was a plant; they could not distinguish between fruits that grow here, like apples, and fruits that don't, like bananas. We took them on a field trip to the Regional Market and they were fascinated by the flats of flower and vegetable seedlings and the fish vendor. And yes, we did tie the instruction into the units and state standards because the teachers can't justify the time otherwise. We also found that children who were familiar with the gardening concepts had an opportunity to shine, an unfamiliar experience for some of th
 em. I think school gardens can be win-win all around.
Carol Bradford
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