Stratford Friends School supports elementary through 9th grade students with language-based learning differences. Their Food for Life program builds upon the school’s long tradition of gardening with cross curricular connections. The hands-on lessons on growing, cooking, and enjoying healthy foods are developed with an integrated STEAM approach. Students explore horticultural, career education, financial education, and nutrition within reading, math, and science lessons. The goal is to develop key life skill they can use as adults.  

With funds from their first Whole Kids Garden Grant, the school was able to enhance the program with a fence for the garden beds, a greenhouse, a Lettuce Grow Farmstand, a mobile kitchen cart, food for cooking classes, and materials to help maintain the garden beds and greenhouse. They were also able to further develop programming.  

Within a year of receiving the grant and making those needed purchases, the school reported several successes including:  

  • Introducing students to new foods and increasing their willingness to try new foods.  
  • Protecting plants, fruits, and veggies from pest and animals.  
  • Drastically increasing their garden space.  
  • Providing year-round gardening opportunities.  

Students have grown a range of produce like tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, garlic, beans, strawberries, and herbs. The garden space also includes a sunflower garden.   

Stratford Friends School’s garden has proved to be powerful multidisciplinary learning space that fosters hands-on investigations supporting STEAM, writing, and reading comprehension skills. In addition to science and nutrition lessons, students have practiced their writing skills by developing descriptions of plants as part of the school’s spring sale. They also learned to read recipes and practiced math and measurement skills when making food like kale chips, salsa, and pesto to share with classmates.  

Students report: 

  • "I liked learning how to grow different fruits and vegetables and what garden spaces they grew best in."  
  • "I never liked veggies but growing them in our garden made me try new things."  
  • "It was fun making bean soup and salsa and learning about how things like fiber are healthy." 

Not only does the school garden feed students, they have also found ways to feed and support the local community. For example, students have sourced ingredients from the garden to make prepared meals for local shelters and special lunches like salads for teachers. Students can also share their garden experiences with their families by taking home recipes and cooking at home.  

The school is establishing a sensory garden too. This carefully planned space is designed to appeal to all five senses using an array of flowers and plants. 

Stratford Friends School was awarded a second Garden Grant in 2024. We can't wait to see what they do in the garden next!