Shea Bergman, KCCG’s Youth and Home Gardens Coordinator, contributed to this article.

KCCG recently partnered with the Morningstar Youth & Family Life Center to install a raised bed garden for the summer scholars program.

The program runs June through August and enrolls students in K to 8th grade for daily activities and learning opportunities.  Morningstar leaders Carl Wade and Sammy Howell saw this as a chance to show the kids how fun it can be to grow your own food.

There are a lot of community gardens popping up in the neighborhood but this is the first chance kids in the community center will get to assist with growing healthy food.  

 “The hope is to get these kids excited about getting their hands dirty and take that enthusiasm for growing & eating healthy back to their homes!”, said Howell.  

The kids planted tomatoes, cucumbers, beans & peppers last week and were excited to see the cucumbers had sprouted in just days!  

Additionally, this garden will not go wild when the kids return to school in August.  The senior members of the Family Life Center will take on the maintenance duties once the kids get on the school bus.