The Johnson garden project*, crafted and designed with the help of The Loud Grade Produce Squad, teaches urban youth how to create small and sustainable gardens in their community to provide more fresh produce for families.
During the lab sessions students engaged in groups discussions about the biology of plants, sustainable urban gardening and the importance of eating fresh produce to promote a healthy lifestyle.
During the build sessions, youth became apprentices of Loud Grade staff and learned how to build and maintain raised planting beds, soil formation techniques and experimented with different methods of composting.
25-30 3rd-5th grade students took part in the weekly and sometimes twice weekly garden sessions.
The parts that students liked best were building the beds, shoveling, planting seeds and seedlings, and providing care for the plots.
*Part of the garden project is supported by the Aetna Foundation, a national foundation
based in Hartford. Connecticut that supports projects to promote wellness, health and access to
high-quality health care for everyone. The views presented here are those of the author and not
necessarily those of the Aetna Foundation, its directors, officers, or staff.
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