SM 2012 - Grow With Me Garden
4 May 2012 0 comments
Research shows that children who participate in gardening are more likely to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, an important component of a healthy diet. With this in mind, the Balfour Beatty Communities team at Fort Carson in Colorado has developed a kid’s only community garden aimed at teaching 3 to 18 year-olds about healthy eating, sustainability and green living.
The “Grow With Me Garden" project got underway in late March with classes for the young participants laying the groundwork of what it takes to plant and care for a garden. With more than 75 gardeners now participating in the program, the team is organized an initial planting of vegetables and herbs on 1 May to kick off Balfour Beatty’s own Sustainability Month. They expect to have the garden fully planted by 14 May.
In addition to ongoing garden maintenance activities, the children will participate in a variety of educational workshops for all age groups. Local chefs will visit to show the children how to prepare healthy snacks with the vegetables harvested and, at the end of the growing season, they will celebrate their accomplishments with a harvest festival for the children, parents, community partners and sponsors.
Given the enthusiastic response to the Fort Carson ‘Grow with Me Garden,’ Balfour Beatty Communities is in the process of documenting all aspects of the program so that it can be expanded to other installations.
- Tags
- Sustainability Month
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