Story Bites

Sometimes in the garden, a moment says it all. Enjoy these tidbits from gardens across Wisconsin. Some are funny, some are touching, all are inspiring.

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Music is such a natural way for people of all ages to engage in the garden. Our smallest visitors love to bang (often loudly!) on the colorful pots and pans, while older children create complex rhythmstogether.
— Ginny Hughes, Education Director, Community GroundWorks

We did a salad dressing and we used proportions of olive oil and lemon juice instead of measurements. One parent was so amazed that their kid came home and made salad dressing by themselves, without needing to use a recipe, just the proportions that we taught.
— Jamie O’Neill, Executive Director, Grow LaCrosse

The garden encourages families to think about food together. Parents see their kids wanting to try new vegetables. Parents learn about new foods side-by-side with their kids. Families develop a sense that food is communal. By choosing, prepping, and cooking vegetables together… meals become less top-down where parents make dinner and kids eat what they’re given.
— Jenn Sattler, Youth Program Manager, Growing Oshkosh

The high school FFA grew the majority of vegetable plants planted in our 3 elementary school gardens. When planting day came around this spring the high school students lent a hand to the elementary school students in planting the garden beds. Heather Reitmeyer, Unified School District of De Pere

We had a salsa-making night during our school open house. Dozens of families came to harvest tomatoes, tour the garden, and even make salsa on the bike blender that we borrowed from Community Groundworks. It was a lot of fun and we hope to continue it as an annual tradition! Courtney Woods, Lowell Elementary School

At Frances Starms Early Childhood, we plant 3 raised garden beds every spring. The children vote on what we plant based on books we read in our curriculum. Sophie Squash has been a huge hit with our K4 children. We harvest the squash and then act out the story. There are multiple squash are out in the reading station for children to “read” to. Lisa Misky