Summer garden programs in the Grass Valley School District

School may be out for summer, but that certainly doesn’t mean that the campuses are quiet! The Grass Valley School District is hosting a lively summer program for elementary/ middle school students.

Part of the summer program involves work in the Hennessey and Scotten school gardens, led by in-house garden coordinator Aleta Bartlett. The students have the chance to work the soil, plant different veggies (potatoes, beans, radishes etc.), water, pull weeds, and harvest. Kids are able to take home what they pick if they don’t eat it all in the garden first!

There is an emphasis on the nutritional benefits of growing and consuming organic produce versus snacking on chips and candy, this is taught in an informal way via general discussion rather than a specific lesson.

Farmer Aleta (as the children call her) also supplies other summer classes with fruit and veggie flash cards which feature pictures of all kinds of produce (various melons, berries, greens..) The students quiz each other and the teachers on what each fruit/veggie is.

When Farmer Aleta is not working in the school gardens, she is tending to her own farm, Starbright Acres Family Farm in Grass Valley, Ca.

Here she is with her family on the farm.

Thanks to Aleta and the Grass Valley summer program for sharing a love of farming and good food with young children!!