*Due to Covid-19 and social distancing requirements, Garden Lessons have been put on hold.*
York Soil & Water Conservation District offers an 8-lesson School Garden Series aligned to first grade science standards. In this series, the District conducts a lesson about plants each month leading up to the planting of a vegetable garden from seed in March and a harvesting and tasting of the produce in May. Each 45-minute lesson includes a hands-on activity and the reading of a related story. The District charges $150 per classroom for the entire series. To get started, contact Laura Nettles at 803-670-3018 or email Laura.nettles@sc.nacdnet.net to set up a meeting. Here are the requirements:
- Ability for school to build a raised garden bed for each first grade classroom - located in full sun with water accessible. (Conservation District can supply directions to build them - get parent groups, scouts or service club involved for labor or funds)
- All first grade teachers, administration and groundskeepers on board and supportive of the program.
Here is an outline of the series:
NEW THIS YEAR FOR "ENCORE" SCHOOLS: The Conservation District is offering two mini-series for schools which have participated in the past in the District's 8-lesson garden series but need a little help keeping their first grade garden program going. These 4-lesson series and 2-lesson series are conducted by Conservation District staff and volunteers and includes the following:
4-LESSON SERIES: $75 PER CLASSROOM
-- February: plant lesson covering plant science standards for first grade and an introduction to the planting of a vegetable garden
-- March: planting of raised bed vegetable garden and a lesson on seeds and germination
-- April: weeding and thinning the garden, tasting radishes, and lesson on nutrition
-- May: harvest the garden vegetables and eat a salad prepared from them
2-LESSON SERIES: $50 PER CLASSROOM
--March: planting of raised bed vegetable garden and lesson on seeds, germination.
--May: harvest the garden and eat salad prepared from it
Each of the lessons concludes with the reading of a related book ( except the harvest, which ends with eating!) The Conservation District provides all the materials needed for the lessons and the harvest salad. To get on the list for the coming school year, contact the Conservation District.
