GCS Gardens: Bumper Sweet Potato Harvests!

 Lindley Elementary 4th graders dug 45 pounds of sweet potatoes, purple and orange,out of a 4'x10' garden bed last week!They sold some at the Corner Market Saturday.

Saving the rest for students to taste!

Jones Elementary has its biggest participation yet in their school garden and by far the most from the leadership side. Nearly 400 students are 

directly working in the garden.

Students harvested over 75 pounds of sweet potatoes from one supersized bed!

Irving Park Elementary also had a bumper crop of 

sweet potatoes this fall with their first ever harvest 

of this tasty tuber!

Harvesting sweet potatoes feels like an

Easter egg hunt in the soil! Students love it!

Fairview Elementary is one of 9 elementary schools in High Point where school gardens are supported by energetic FoodCorp service members. They are also enjoying harvesting a bumper crop of sweet potatoes.

Lots of applied math possibilities here! 

Records can be kept to compare different years 

yield vs. temperature and water applications.

 What do all these schools do with their sweet potato harvest? Many things! One of the tastiest outcomes are tastings prepared by teachers, parents, and volunteers working with students to prepare and taste vegetables prepared in many different ways.

Chefs Move to Schools is a great program to introduce students to the many tasty ways

the vegetables they grow can be prepared.

They are members of GTCC’s Culinary program and present programs in our elementary schools.

 A number of schools sell their produce as a fundraiser for their gardening programs. These are done on-site or at various Farmer’s Markets in Guilford County.

Lindley Elementary has led the way in offering this type of setting for their harvests.

More and more schools use their garden harvest for service learning projects. Donations are made to organizations like Share the Harvest, Greensboro Urban Ministry, and other organizations.

A big thank you to all of our teachers, parents, other volunteers, and students who are making school gardens successful in our Guilford County Schools!