Around May of last year Ukiah Unified School District hired me on as a Garden Specialist. This program has been going on for the past twenty years. Each school within our district has gardens both big and small that serve as a life laboratory for students K-12. Each garden has a specialist that plays many different roles. We teach students about gardens, food literacy, farm to fork education, botany, soil science, and more. The garden is more than just a play ground it is a platform for student to think critically, learn to work together for a greater purpose, have hands on experiences that they will have for the rest of their lives and it exposes them to healthy practices.
The past few months our garden program has been on rocky grounds. We have been having to prove to the school board that this program is oh so important not only for our students, but for our community. Yesterday, we had our big meeting and we won all the votes. Our community members, families, students, faculty all stepped up and shared their support.