Nikki Schaper, KCCG’s Beanstalk Garden Assistant, contributed to this article.

Grandview High School and KCCG have developed a unique relationship over the past year. It started with a field trip last spring when Grandview’s Health and Nutrition teacher, Cassie Dolinar, brought her class to the Beanstalk Garden to tour the garden and sample some fresh veggies.

The field trip had such a positive impact on the students that Dolinar decided to build a spring garden for their school. All Dolinar needed was some consultation and a plan and the Beanstalk Garden staff was the easy and logical choice to help.  On January 31st and February 1st, Grandview welcomed the Beanstalk Children’s Garden staff to their school to help Dolinar’s Health and Nutrition design their own spring garden bed for harvesting.

First, there was discussion about who gardens and the benefits of gardening, including physical and mental health.  Students brainstormed career paths available to them in the gardening field. They also tackled big questions like, “how can gardening solve real world problems,” and shared their responses with the class.

After learning about various spring vegetables like radishes and lettuce, students used KCCG planting guides to determine how much space each plant needs in the ground. Sketching their ideas, students worked in small groups to color-code their garden bed designs.

In the next few weeks, the Beanstalk staff will pick one winning design from each of the six health classes; these designs will be planted along the Beanstalk entryway in spring. When Grandview students take their annual fieldtrip to the Beanstalk in May, they’ll get to see their designs come to life!

In addition to touring the Beanstalk Children’s Garden, they will have a harvest-to-plate experience as they reap the rewards of their planning.