School Garden Program

 

GO's mission is to raise awareness and educate citizens about the numerous benefits of fresh, healthy, local and fair food (and food production) . Currently our work is focused on schools, child care centers, and other institutions that work with children in Winnebago County. GO helps design and build raised garden beds that are unique to each site/organization we are partnered with. We achieve garden installation through partnerships with ReTh!nk (a Winnebago County healthy living non-profit), schools, volunteers, and sponsors. Growing Oshkosh takes care of the construction of these gardens, as well as maintence while the community around these gardens are taught about how to grow their own food.

 

Each spring, students grow all the vegetable plants in their classrooms and transplant them into the gardens. Over the summer, communities around these gardens are welcome to share in the garden upkeep and harvest. Community partners and organizations are also welcome to incorporate the gardens into their summer programs as well. Finally, in the fall the students learn about decomposition and help prepare the garden beds for the winter and another year of gardening. The goal is that these gardens will become living outdoor classrooms that provide students and families with a hands-on experience when learning, as well as fresh food for them and the surrounding community.