Foundation for Youth
"Gardening for Kids"
***see below for 2019 calendar***
While there are many ways Master Gardeners “Help Others Grow”, there’s hardly anything more rewarding than helping kids learn what gardening is all about?
Master Gardener Sherry Warner loves helping kids learn to garden. In fact, this is Sherry’s seventh year volunteering at the Columbus Foundation for Youth (FFY) in their “Gardening for Kids” program.
FFY provides all the gardening tools and one staff person to assist with the program. It should also be noted that several of our SCIMGA Master Gardeners also volunteer to help Sherry make this an exciting learning program for the kids who come to the FFY. Sherry sees about 25-32 kids per day! Master Gardener volunteers work directly with kids in small groups of 3-5, depending on the number of kids and volunteers.
On May 2, Sherry started the garden season off by having the kids plant early crops such as radishes, lettuce, sugar snap peas, kohlrabi, carrots, onions, kale and popcorn. When the kids couldn’t get in the garden because of rain on May 9 and 11, she had them making garden signs for the garden and a mobile they could take home. And, on May 18, the kids planted tomatoes and bell peppers donated by Whipker’s Garden Center. Apparently rabbits like kohlrabi, so the kids had to replant part of their kohlrabi crop at that time, too.
Sherry uses a large kitchen at the FFY to help kids learn to prepare whatever the current crop might be. She says the kids love to consume the produce they’ve grown. This includes strawberries, cherries, apples or whatever is ready from the garden. In case you’re wondering about leftover produce, it’s placed in the front lobby for parents to pick up.
During the school year, Sherry volunteers from 4 – 6 PM. After school is out for the summer, her hours switch to 9-11 AM. She says her kids are looking forward to welcoming a guest speaker who’ll talk about bees. And, as the season goes on, the kids will learn how to mulch, weed, and harvest the gardens.
While there are many ways Master Gardeners “Help Others Grow”, there’s hardly anything more rewarding than helping kids learn what gardening is all about?
Master Gardener Sherry Warner loves helping kids learn to garden. In fact, this is Sherry’s seventh year volunteering at the Columbus Foundation for Youth (FFY) in their “Gardening for Kids” program.
FFY provides all the gardening tools and one staff person to assist with the program. It should also be noted that several of our SCIMGA Master Gardeners also volunteer to help Sherry make this an exciting learning program for the kids who come to the FFY. Sherry sees about 25-32 kids per day! Master Gardener volunteers work directly with kids in small groups of 3-5, depending on the number of kids and volunteers.
On May 2, Sherry started the garden season off by having the kids plant early crops such as radishes, lettuce, sugar snap peas, kohlrabi, carrots, onions, kale and popcorn. When the kids couldn’t get in the garden because of rain on May 9 and 11, she had them making garden signs for the garden and a mobile they could take home. And, on May 18, the kids planted tomatoes and bell peppers donated by Whipker’s Garden Center. Apparently rabbits like kohlrabi, so the kids had to replant part of their kohlrabi crop at that time, too.
Sherry uses a large kitchen at the FFY to help kids learn to prepare whatever the current crop might be. She says the kids love to consume the produce they’ve grown. This includes strawberries, cherries, apples or whatever is ready from the garden. In case you’re wondering about leftover produce, it’s placed in the front lobby for parents to pick up.
During the school year, Sherry volunteers from 4 – 6 PM. After school is out for the summer, her hours switch to 9-11 AM. She says her kids are looking forward to welcoming a guest speaker who’ll talk about bees. And, as the season goes on, the kids will learn how to mulch, weed, and harvest the gardens.