Kansas: School Garden Programs

Growing Food, Growing West
West Junior High, Lawrence KS
Community Mercantile Cooperative Grocery and Community Mercantile Education Foundation in Lawrence, Kansas have partnered with neighboring West Junior High School to build a permanent 4,000 sq. foot schoolyard garden. The coop has employed six West students to work in the garden, sell produce at a student run market this summer, and supply produce to the cafeteria in the fall. There will be lots of education and curriculum integration, and what we expect will be a beautiful, bountiful garden.
Keep up-to-date on the project at wellcommons.com.
For more information, contact Nancy O'Connor.

Lawrence Community and Learning Garden
Free State High School , Lawrence KS
Plans are under way for a community and school garden project at Free State High School.
The project will include plots for members of the community as well as a garden managed by the school's ag ed students. Students will also operate a farmers market and sell garden produce to the school's cafeteria.
Read more about the Lawrence Community and Learning Garden project here.
A news video by Lawrence's Channel Six can be viewed here
About a dozen community leaders serve on a planning committee. They will have a community forum this fall, and also will form an official board for the project.
Those serving on the planning committee include Ed West; Patrick Kelly, Lawrence school district; Jennifer Smith, K-State Research and Extension — Douglas County; Laura Priest, FSHS ag teacher; Rick Martin, Free State Brewery; Maisie French, FSHS parent; Chris Wiltfong, Hy-Vee Food Store; Mike Ryan, Johnson County Community College; Eileen Horn, sustainability coordinator for the Lawrence and Douglas County; Emily Hampton, Americorps VISTA volunteer; Laura Zell, Lawrence resident; and Tom Bracciano, Lawrence school district.
Keep up-to-date on the project at wellcommons.com.
For more information, contact Ed West, FSHS principal.