By Julie Tomascik
Editor
Small scale gardening and large scale farming have quite a lot in common, and Texas Farm Bureau’s Learning from the Ground Up program helps students make that connection.
“Students learn best when they are fully engaged will all of their senses, and school gardens can do just that,” Jett Mason, TFB director of Educational Outreach, said. “Students benefit academically and socially when they go outside and learn.”
At the same time, they can better understand where their food gets its start.
Students go outside, get their hands dirty and make connections from the garden to agriculture. They see how it applies to the food they eat, the clothes they wear and the fuel used in their family’s vehicles.
The program is open to schools across the state and offers grants to help establish or improve school gardens or greenhouses. Applications are currently being accepted through Oct. 13.
Through the program, three $500 grants are awarded in each of the 13 Farm Bureau districts.
“Gardening is a lot like farming, just on a smaller scale,” Mason said. “We want teachers to take learning outside the classroom to provide students with real-world agricultural experiences. Learning from the Ground Up is just one of several programs offered by Texas Farm Bureau to help with youth education.”
Mason noted hands-on learning in a garden can help students better understand situations that farmers and ranchers face.
“The soil in the garden has to be prepared. Then seeds are planted. It’s what farmers do, too,” Mason said. “The school garden needs water just like crops in a field. Students are able to harvest the fruits and vegetables of their labor, as do farmers at the end of a growing season.”
The program is a win-win, Mason said, for students and teachers.
“There’s nothing like getting kids outdoors and letting them get their hands dirty,” Mason said. “Today’s students are very connected with technology and don’t explore the outdoors as much. This grant program helps students have those educational opportunities and experiences outside the classroom.”
For more details and information on the grant program, visit Learning From the Ground Up.