Growing with our Communities

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What a fun day in the garden at Bluff Creek Elementary School in Chanhassen!

This K-5 school is right down the road from our Chanhassen location, and Lakewinds is now an enthusiastic partner in their school garden. We started by donating seeds, participated in the big planting day on May 13th, and will follow through in the late summer and early fall when vegetables are harvested. We’ll be in the garden and in the classroom, teaching the kids about nutrition, how to incorporate fresh vegetables into meals and snacks, and even trying some new and unfamiliar fruits and vegetables.

On planting day, kids from all grade levels were involved in every step of the process. They moved from classroom to library to outdoors, getting their hands dirty and acquiring green thumbs! Master Gardeners from the U of MN Extension Service were on hand to teach and facilitate the many aspects of the day. They included:

  • A video about bees and pollinator plants and the important role they play in our food system
  • Prairie plant restoration
  • An “on-wheels” adaptive garden for special needs kids
  • Outdoor planting
  • Plant biology

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I got to spend some meaningful time with the English Language (EL) kids and their teacher. They have an amazing teacher who has integrated teaching into a Global Garden, making sure to plant herbs and vegetables that are culturally appropriate to the diverse population in the school district. An outreach event was also held later that month at the neighborhood where many of these children live, taking the opportunity to meet the parents and share more about the garden and what the kids were planting and learning. Access to healthy food is something everyone should share!

Research and experience shows that the more involved kids are in the planting, growing, harvesting and cooking of their food, the more likely they’ll be to make healthy choices now and in the future. The smiles and chatter in the garden this day proved that point! They’re excited to taste and explore, and Lakewinds is excited to share it with them!