SCHOOL GARDENS
Photo by Garden City Harvest Staff
About
Our Farm to School Program offers Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) help in creating school gardens to use as outdoor classrooms.
Our work includes:
Help with planning and building a new school garden
School garden curriculum linked to Montana and MCPS standards
Educational programs in the garden in the spring, summer and fall
Maintenance support throughout the growing season
We also consult on school garden projects outside the MCPS district.
While much of the learning happens in the growing of the food, we learn by eating the food, too!
Here’s how:
Students eat it on the spot, right in their school garden, during school garden lessons
Harvested and eaten during afterschool programs with partners like Missoula Parks and Recreation or Flagship
Brought home to student’s family tables, harvested during summer open garden hours
Used as all-school snacks in the fall
The spaces cultivate learning, and more:
Teachers can use the gardens as outdoor classrooms to teach students about math, science, art, ecology, cooperation, and more
Some schools take their lunches to the gardens!
Some school counselors make the garden a place for therapy sessions
Teacher Resources
School garden curriculum written by our Farm to School team (by grade level!), recipes, and links to great organizations and resources across the country. MORE
Want more information?
Contact our Farm to School Director, Jason Mandala, at jason@gardencityharvest.org or 406-239-5524 or Lead School Gardens Manager, Lori Blumenthal at lori@gardencityharvest.org or 406-220-6434.
Garden City Harvest supported school gardens
Chief Charlo Outdoor Learning Center - established 2012
Franklin Outdoor Learning Center - established 2013
Hawthorne Outdoor Learning Center - established 2014
Jeannette Rankin Outdoor Learning - established 2021
Lowell Outdoor Learning Center - established 2009
Paxson Outdoor Learning Center - established 2011
Rattlesnake Outdoor Learning Center- established 2010
Russell Outdoor Learning Center - established 2022