Local Tallahassee organizations are coming together to create and operate a class garden for Bond Elementary School fifth graders.
Soon Bond Elementary School fifth graders will be elbow-deep in dirt. The students will be working with a local non-profit organization, college volunteers and their teacher to learn about science outside of the classroom.
“We’ll be working with them directly. It’s basically a joint cooperative effort between our organization and the school itself," says Goliath Davis IV with Citizens for a Sustainable Future. The group promotes sustainable practices and is in charge of keeping the garden neat and full. Davis says the garden will feature fall crops like cabbage and fruit trees.
Bond’s garden is funded through a grant from the city targeting childhood obesity. Florida A&M University professor, Kwasi Densu, wrote the grant proposal and hopes the garden program will change students’ lives.
“And we wanna see if that transforms the way they see food, but also the way they see their own educational experience. And of course their own health and wellbeing of their family," says Densu.
One activity the students will be doing is a food audit. They’ll compare the food at their home to what is grown in the garden to determine what’s healthier.
Davis says, “It’s a way for them to understand that what you eat is eventually going to become a part of you.”
There are many plans for this garden’s future such as, creating a small food market on the southside. The nearest super market to Bond closed down in May, leaving less access to fresh vegetable and fruits.