There's been a huge push to gets kids involved in gardening. You'd think they'd be naturals: dirt, bugs, food... Actually, most kids do enjoy working in the garden. It's being patient while things begin to grow that they can't stand. This week is National Green Week and the Green Education Foundation has set a goal of getting 10,000 school gardens up and growing this year, with their Green Thumb Challenge. They provide lots of help and direction on their site, if you'd like to help your child's school.
The Welch's company is teaming up with Scholastic to award Welch's Harvest Grants to schools planning to start gardens. There are indoor and outdoor garden packages of tools, seeds and educational materials. Five 1st prize winners will each receive a $1,000 package. Twenty-five winners will get a $500 package and another 70 winners will receive a package worth $250. The contest ends next week, so check it out now.
And Bonnie Plants has a charming program called Third Grade Cabbage Program. Participating 3rd graders will receive a free Bonnie O.S. Cross cabbage to plant grow and nurture. These are big cabbages that can get up to 50 pounds, so there's an air of excitement for a small kid growing one of these. At the end of the season, schools select the best cabbage, based on size and appearance. That student's name is then included in a statewide drawing. Each state's winner is chosen in a random drawing , by the Commission of Agriculture. The winners get a $1,000 scholarship to put toward their education. Last year, 1.5 million students participated in 45 states. That's Ohio State Winner, Dakota Gurney, with his champion cabbage. I sure hope Dakota likes cabbage.
Bonnie Plants' 3rd Grade Cabbage Program. Ohio State Winner: Dakota Gurney
Photo Provided by Green Earth Media Group
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