Gopher Garden

Sam Brannan Middle School’s garden serves the entire campus community through botanical and health education, consumption of healthy food, and appreciation of physical labor. For over a decade, the school garden has been used by numerous students and classes in order to gain a better understanding of how food is grown: from seed to harvest. Topics explored and include: irrigation, fertilizing, pest and weed prevention, pruning, weather, composting, and health benefits. Physical labor is practiced through construction and maintenance of vegetable beds, walkways, compost bins, and protective cages, as well as through hand weeding, watering, pruning, fertilizing, and soil tilling. The students discover the plant life cycle unfold and are encouraged to reap the fruits of their labor. Many students and staff enjoy foods that they may have never considered trying. The school garden is a popular location for our Special Education department and serves as an incentive for students who complete their work and exhibit positive behavior. It has also served as a setting for certain students, who are given challenging tasks, to become leaders and examples for others.