How do I sum up a year of service in just a few words?! I have had such wonderful experience at KCCG with the Schoolyard Gardens team. For the past year, I’ve been gardening with students at 40 schools across the Kansas City Metro and I’m leaving inspired and excited!

I obviously learned a ton about gardening this year including how to build a raised bed, how to manage pests, and the importance of mulching! But my favorite experiences were centered around the people I got the spend the year with.

Of course, the kids were incredible. Seeing their excitement and curiosity about gardening and their willingness to try new vegetables they had grown was inspiring. Thank you teachers and students for making gardening so much fun!

Another amazing part of my experience has been getting to know and spend time with the incredible SYG team. Hannah, Crystal and Claire made me really look forward to coming to work everyday. Their work ethic, positivity and sincerity are unparalleled. I’m going to miss them dearly!

Some highlights from my year are:

Two extremely hectic planting seasons with 3-5 plantings per day!

Hosting my very first Hash Brown Harvest Party with the students at FSI!

Making this Harvest Party video with the students at Wendell Phillips!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43WOoxobuSg&t=2s

A seemingly endless winter of top-offs and garden constructions like this one:

Calming hours spent pulling orders and organizing plants in the greenhouse!

Cooking a luncheon for our first round of seasonal volunteers!

And a lot of time spent hanging out with the SYG team, talking, sharing our experiences, and learning from each other.

It is with a lot of sadness and ton of gratitude that I say goodbye to the SYG team, KCCG staff and all of the teachers and students I had the privilege of spending the past year with! Thank you for making it a great one!

If you want to follow along with my food blog adventures, subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/twoshakesofhappy