FoodCorps, Inc. (https://foodcorps.org)

Abstract

Food insecurity, what the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) terms low or very low food security, affects a frighteningly high percentage of families, more than 15% in 2018 (Coleman-Jensen, Rabbitt, Gregory, & Singh, 2019). Malnutrition, whether due to poverty, food deserts, or other factors, is nearly as common despite efforts to correct it. When the nutrients in food, such as vitamins, were first beginning to be understood, as many as one-third of schoolchildren were found to be malnourished (Read & Palmer, 1923). These authors vehemently considered childhood malnutrition to be a national concern, “To fail the undernourished child is but to fail the nation!” (Read & Palmer, 1923, p. 28). The problems present then and now include diets that lack variety, and specifically lack fruits and vegetables. School gardens can, in part, remedy these deficiencies. School lunches are part of what the USDA Economic Research Service labels as Food Away from Home (FAFH). Dining out is frequently higher in calories, salt, fat, and sugar per meal, compared to home-cooked meals (Saksena et al., 2018). School food sometimes suffers the same faults as other FAFH—especially when the food arrives at the school packaged and pre-portioned. School lunch programs are driven by policy and law, by cost, preparation and cooking time, and by what appeals to the students. There have been efforts for decades to associate gardens with schools as a source of fruits and vegetables, to provide opportunities for hands-on experiments and STEM education, and to provide physical, social, and psychological benefits. Kohlstedt (2008) describes a school gardening movement starting in the 1890s; she cites John Dewey as a proponent of using gardens to help cross the barrier between school learning and life skills. Blair specifies: “The purposes of the redesigned schoolyard are academic, behavioral, recreational, social (increased sense of belonging, self-esteem, and compassion), political (the schoolyard as a visible community asset), and environmental remediation” (2009, p. 16). Most current school garden programs belong to a single school and are run by parents, teachers, and