The Sonoma Valley School Garden Project
THE SCHOOL GARDEN PROJECT
Results | School Garden Project
 Percentage of local schools that will soon serve School Garden Veggies in their cafeterias: 100% |
Number of students that benefit from the School Garden Project: 3,400+  Number of Heritage Olive Trees we've planted in school gardens: 24 |
 School Gardens are now thriving in all 10 Sonoma public schools. |
Scoping all public schools in Sonoma Valley Unified School District, the School Garden Project helps establish and maintain outdoor classrooms and school gardens.
Photo: Rick Bolen.
The School Garden Project, launched and led by Project Director Kathleen Hill, is now established at all ten local public schools. This project encourages hands-on learning and teaches students the importance of growing and eating healthy fruits and vegetables. This year, school garden produce will be served at salad bars in our local schools, as a part of the “Farm to Cafeteria” Program.
Sonoma will be one of the first communities in California to support an educational, district-wide School Garden Project. Our School Gardens are linked to a specific curriculum that teaches science, nutrition, environmental studies and math – can even be paired with a history or language arts lesson.
Supported by the Sonoma Valley Unified School District and the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation, each garden site features large planter boxes and aerobic composting units. The Education Foundation also funds a Garden Site Coordinator to provide guidance at each school site.We’re currently working to ensure each school site also has sheds, greenhouses, proper tools, and eventually shade structures and seating areas for teaching in the gardens. This is where community donations come into play: in addition to providing the aforementioned garden structures, gardens also need plants, repairs, new equipment and Coordinator assistance each year to continue to thrive.
Photo: Rick Bolen.
Collaborating with the community
A fantastic “side-effect” of the School Garden Project is that it engages the whole community. Many local businesses and community members have come forward offering materials, expertise and time to the garden project – which tells us the Garden Project is going to thrive for years to come.
The following partners have provided crucial support for the project:
- Stone Edge Farm
- Sonoma Mission Gardens Nursery
- Sonoma Materials
- Larson Family Winery
- MOPREP (Mission Olive Preservation, Restoration and Education Project)
- Valley of the Moon Rotary Club
- Speedway Children’s Charities
- Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Alliance
- Wedikins Garden Center
- BR Cohn Charity Events
- Soils Plus
Want to volunteer? – We’ll be recruiting volunteers to help install the gardens, support teachers in garden lessons and more. Please call 935-9566, or email Alissa Pearce, our Garden Education Coordinator at alissa.pearce5678@gmail.com.
Check presentation to Garden Coordinators from the Whole Foods 5% day this past fall.
Make a donation to the Sonoma Valley Garden Project.
