Shuman Children's Garden

 The Shuman Children's Garden is a quiet learning environment located within an urban environment.  The school is comprised of over 80% free and reduced lunch.  It is also located within a food desert in our city. One child, new to the schoo,l asked, "what is a garden".  It's days like this that let me know what we do is important.  The garden not only teaches children where food comes from and how good fresh food is, but we also incorporate all other subjects into it as well.  There is a section where we plant the 3 sisters-complete with fish heads- and tie it into history standards.  We have a Colonial Herb Garden, a Victory Garden, a Math Garden with beds of various shapes, a Pizza Garden for learning about circle, fractions, etc, a Butterfly Garden, and a Music Garden.  This year, we will add a Word Pathway and Character Garden.

Everything is grown organically so we can tast test as we walk in the garden.  Variagated Swiss Chard is becoming a favorite.  We work with the School Nutrition Department and last year fed the entire second grade-around 100 children with a 3x3 bed of Bibb Lettuce.  We also harvested beets and collards and had them cooked by the cafeteria staff.  This year the head chef for our district is incorporating what we grow into developing new recipes for cafeterias across the district.  We are trying Kale Chips-Kale thrives in the garden.  We are looking for recipes for Swiss Chard-that also grows quite well here.  We harvested sweet potatoes-the largest weighing 8.6 pounds and the principal is making sweet potatoe pie with them to serve to the students.

The gourds harvested this fall will become instruments for a performance this spring.  Decorated by art students and performed by music students.  We will also plant new gourds from seeds saved from last year's harvest.