Kindergarten

Desert Garden Montessori is a private school in Phoenix, AZ and we have an organic lunch program along with a small garden program that all children in school can participate in.  We believe in taking care of the earth and helping children connect to the outside world through gardening and composting programs.

 Cutivating Curiosity is a Farm to School Program started at McKinley Elementary school in Salem in partnership with our parent-teacher club. We are just starting on our goal of promoting healthy, local eating to students and raising their awareness of where our food comes from. 

West Point Elementary School Garden is beginning it's third season of in-ground, organic gardening. We have spent the first two years building, cultivating and amending our very poor soil. Despite this, we have been able to grow many vegetables and fruits including tomatoes, squash, peas, corn, cucumbers, strawberries, potatoes, onions and garlic. Most of the harvest is eaten right there in the garden, but some is added to our salad bar in the school cafeteria.

We are a brand new lunch program that is reforming the old school re-heated foods into farm fresh organic fruits and vegetables.  Through donations from the Orfalea Foundation of Santa Barbara, Ca we have built a full service kitchen that is feeding 350-400 student each day.  We have a farm gleaning program through Santa Ynez Valley Fruit & Vegetable Rescue.  The organic local farms are gleaned daily, and truck loads of the fresh organic produce is brought to our kitchen and made in to delicious soups, salads, sauces and dressings for the students at Solvang's "Viking Cafe".