Madison High School

Students in the culinary arts program will plant, tend and cultivate the school garden to learn about nutrition and farm-to-table growing. The students will learn how to prepare and serve the food by operating an outdoor cafe where they will offer freshly grown and prepared foods, supporting the farm-to-table concept and the fight against obesity. Students will learn about seasonal planting, the growing cycle, soil care and maintenance, pest control and chemicals, composting, and how to properly cook and serve the produce they grow. The students will create healthy soups, salads, side dishes and snacks for family and community events, staff meetings, student banquets and other special events that occur at school. They will be challenged to come up with healthy recipes for taste challenges and other competitions to heighten their interest in creating unique food combinations and challenge their thinking about health and nutrition. The garden has 12 raised beds and a grassy area that is approximately 500 square feet. The students will learn how to cultivate these areas and determine the conditions necessary for the vegetables to thrive (shade vs. sun; moist vs. arid).