The USDA's 'One in a Melon' award highlights successful farm-to-school initiatives like those at Mendota Elementary in Wisconsin. Students engage in gardening activities that teach them about nutrition and environmental care, emphasizing access to healthy food in underserved communities. The school garden not only provides learning opportunities but also contributes produce to local food pantries, reinforcing the community's food system. Erica Krug from Rooted emphasizes the garden's role in engaging children with food production and ecological sustainability, creating a lasting educational impact.
"They're mending the soil one week, and then the next week they're going to start to see these little seedlings pop through the soil, because they're healthy and they're happy and they have sunshine, and they've watered them."
"Outdoor programming like this positions students to learn how to grow food - and take care of the planet that bears it."
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