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From Garden to Lunch Tray: Students Dig into Nutrition and Growth

From Garden to Lunch Tray: Students Dig into Nutrition and Growth

Abdul smiled with every radish he pulled from the soil, while Martin proudly carried a fresh lettuce head to be trimmed and rinsed. Around them, fellow Employment Transition Program (ETP) students and staff members joined in the fun, harvesting tomatoes, turnips, snap peas, and more from their own garden beds.

This hands-on experience is part of the FWPS Nutrition Services Garden to Cafeteria program, where K–12 students learn about nutrition, healthy habits, and food safety—then help prepare school garden-grown produce to be served at lunch! 

“Students get the full seasonal cycle, which includes planting in spring, harvesting after summer, and putting the beds to sleep in winter. It’s a truly unique program,” shared Jeremy Pliler, FWPS School Garden Specialist.

Now in its second year, the program runs at nine schools across the district:

  • Enterprise
  • Star Lake
  • Wildwood
  • Olympic View
  • Employment Transition Program
  • Lakota MS
  • Illahee MS
  • TJHS
  • TAF@Saghalie
  • Truman HS

Scholars enjoy seasonal lessons taught through PE and Art at the elementary level, Career & Technical Education (CTE) for middle schoolers, the Thomas Jefferson HS Native Coalition Club, and here at ETP.

The Garden to Cafeteria program is proudly funded by the USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant.

🌻 Learning, growing, and eating—together!

 

 

 

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