Slow Food USA’s School Garden Network aims to reconnect youth with their food by teaching them how to grow, cook and enjoy real food. Through increased confidence, knowledge gain and skill building, we want to empower children to become active participants in their food choices. By becoming informed eaters, today’s children will help make a positive impact on the larger world of food and farming well into the future.

The goal of the Slow Food School Garden Network is to support educators, volunteers, garden leaders and local Slow Food chapters become more effective in sustaining school garden programs in their community. We hope chapters will serve as a local school garden hub of important resources and volunteer assistance, as well as a connector that facilitates partnerships in local communities. 

Why School Gardens?

In recent years, various types of gardens are appearing on school grounds all over the world. These gardens are being built by parents, school departments and even community partners. These gardens often aim to connect children with hands-on experiences in nature that complement the academic studies in the classroom. Another common goal is to engage children in the growing, harvesting, preparation and eating of healthy food from the gardens.

Despite nearly 5,000 school gardens across the United States reported by the USDA, including over 600 confirmed school gardens in just Oregon alone (Rick Sherman, OR Department of Education), we still hear many questions like “Why have a school garden?” We hope to build a solid case for parents, teachers and administrators who may be struggling with concrete answers to this questions.