OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. — Four Oklahoma schools and three early childhood educations centers have been selected to receive school garden kits through the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry’s Farm to School program on behalf of the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant.
“School gardens provide the opportunity for children to consume more fruits and vegetables, but more importantly, to learn about how they grow, how they are harvested and how to prepare them,” said Cheri Long, Farm to School coordinator.
The following schools and early childhood programs have been selected for the two-year grant:
- Guymon Highschool, Guymon
- Stratford Elementary, Stratford
- Oologah Lower Elementary, Oologah
- Wister Public Schools, Wister
- DD Kirkland Childcare Center, Putnam City
- Robert E Lee Early Childhood Education, Durant
- Scissortail Children’s School, Lawton
Student participation in school garden projects promotes healthy eating habits through experiential learning. The focus of this project is to help students understand where their food comes from and how to make healthier food choices when at home.
The school garden kits include basic garden supplies and equipment, various plants and seeds, Farm to School and Ag in the Classroom resources, garden curriculum from the Jr. Master Gardener program, Life Lab signage for garden beds and materials needed to build raised garden beds. Each selected school will also receive a $2,000 per year stipend for two years to support the garden coordinator.
For more information or questions regarding Farm to School materials or programs, please visit okfarmtoschool.com or call Cheri Long at 405.249.9234.
–Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
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