Princeton School Gardens Cooperative

The Princeton School Gardens Cooperative is small 501c3 that works to increase food literacy in the public schools.

Mission: Fostering garden- and food-based education in the classroom, cafeteria and community.

Our goals are simple, clear and challenging. We envision every high school graduate (and by extension, their parents) leaving with a good measure of civic awareness, self-reliance and food security: All can grow a salad, read a label, set a table, cook for themselves and nurture their friends and family. They understand flavor and they understand that they vote with their forks.

When we first got going in 2005, our goal was to establish and maintain edible gardens at all of the public schools in town. Our next project, with the help of a RWJF grant, was to launch Garden State on Your Plate, which brought local chefs and farmers into the elementary schools at lunchtime to serve up tasting portions of foods made with fresh and seasonal ingredients.

Since then, we have expanded both programs - the gardens now are being used by teachers and students, K-12; Garden State on Your Plate has expanded into the YMCA-Princeton Young Achievers after-school club for children at risk and pushed open the door to John Witherspoon Middle School with an after-school cooking club that we hope is prelude to the re-establishment of a food literacy elective.