Fourth graders at Tower Grove Christian Academy planted vegetables at the urban garden in the Shaw neighborhood last week. The food they harvest this summer will be donated to Operation Food Search.
Teacher Geri Creel said the students are always excited for the hands-on learning the garden provides, as well as a sense of pride for donating the crops they grew themselves to those in need. The students plant the vegetables in their classrooms during the winter, and when the weather gets warm enough, they transfer the plants to the outdoor space.
“They really love this,” Creel said as she taught the students to water the plants. “I think it means a lot to them to know this is how the things they grow are being used.”
The garden plot is located on a slope just next to interstate 44. MoDOT leases the space to The Green House Venture for $1 per a year thanks to a federal grant to beautify roadsides across the country.
But this urban garden located in the Shaw neighborhood at the intersection of Lawrence Street and De Tonty Street is a first for the nation, Dr. Donald Stump, Curriculum Director at The Green House Venture said.
The organization saves MoDOT thousands of dollars in the cost of beautification, as Stump’s organization pays for the fencing and landscaping.
Principal Mike Gregory said he had the privilege to grow up on a farm where all his neighbors also had a garden. But in the city, finding gardens in neighborhoods can prove to be a challenge.
“For us, in the most simplistic way, it’s an extension of the classroom,” Gregory said. “This has been great for our kids, especially growing up in the city… a lot of our urban kids have not had the opportunity to try to garden.”
But the produce grown in the leased spot not only serves as a donation for Operation Food Search, a food pantry located in Overland, but also as a way to introduce the children to the world of science and agriculture at a younger age.
“We don’t just want to create a sort of Disney Land for the kids,” Stump said. “We really want these to be like adult work spaces. They’re actually working alongside master gardeners.”
Fourth grader Layla said she has learned how to dig an outline in the soil to easily be able to plant the grown plant in the ground. She said she is excited to see the kale she planted grow, so she can make kale chips.
“The most exciting thing is going around the garden and seeing what you can eat and taste testing it,” she said.
The crops in the garden will be harvested during the summer. Stump said the students will have a chance to taste test the vegetables they grow, including some they may not be as familiar with, such as swiss chard and kohlrabi.
“They do a lot of planting out here,” Stump said. “A lot of the things they’re growing out here, they really don’t know much about. We’re trying to expand their food groups without them noticing. We found that once they grow it, they’ll put it in their mouth.”
Ultimately, the goal of the garden is to help those in the community who struggle to access healthy food. According to a 2022 Map the Meal study, over 47,000 people in the city were food insecure and lacked resources for healthy lifestyles. With the growing problem of food deserts and shortages in the city, Gregory said he is proud the kids can be part of the solution.
“Now they get to see reality, how we have a food shortage,” Gregory said. “They’re going to be the ones making a difference.”