Mr. Bush's Garden

Scenes from Mr. Bush's Garden

John Muir Elementary School, a 2002 nationally recognized Character Education Award recipient, serves 250 Kindergarten through Fifth grade ethnically, and economically diverse students. One of our major goals at John Muir Elementary is to unite the entire school community around a focus of ecoliteracy with attention given to

The bustling urban setting often excludes our young from a direct connection with the many natural systems taking place namely, our dependent relationship to food. Our goal for the garden program at John Muir Elementary is to allow the children to see the living world around us in a new way. Understanding the benefits of sustainable agriculture, organically grown foods, and recycling can have profound effects on our children as well as our environment. We teach various aspects of ecology through an up-close look at plant systems that nourish the body, and our relationship to them and the environment. The result is essentially to illustrate the link between these natural and social systems. Our program promotes organic growing methods, local/regional produce and 5 A Day. We wish to have a healthy snack every week in the gardening class and larger yields for frequent and fresh harvests. The John Muir Garden Project strives to instill these principles in its student community through direct experience in an intimate outdoor classroom setting.
Nestled within the very unique setting of an old redwood grove and Harwood Creek, a multi terraced, organic vegetable garden awaits our curious and hardworking students. Smaller groups, consisting of seven children, allow for most inquiries to be addressed and close attention reciprocated between the instructor and the students. Topics such as composting, the ideals of organically grown produce and pest-control methods, and harvesting and cooking are but a few offered through our garden program. To incorporate curriculum standards on every level of instruction, work closer with teachers on in-class lessons and to have fundraisers to spread more awareness to the parent community are objectives for this new year.
FOOD TO TABLE…
In order to enjoy something one must experience it first with his/her own senses. The nose and palate must become excited before that signal travels to the brain with the message, ”I liked that!” This experience is what we try to cultivate everywhere from the table to the herb garden. Our gardening class offers just-harvested vegetable-stew prepared by the children. Olive oil & rosemary-potatoes or dino kale, garlic and chard stir-fry with Bragg’s liquid amino acids, or huge salads in large bowls for kids, are other dishes prepared. Donations from Whole Foods Market and Berkeley Bowl allow for many different types of dried organic fruits, as well as fresh organic fruits and vegetables, grains and nuts. A nutrition committee comprised of the principle, the garden coordinator, three teachers, and a two parents held numerous events such as the newspaper headlining, Squash-O-Rama, and Chinese New Year stir-fry festival, where huge healthy food spreads were served by mainly parents for the entire student body. Our two-year strong nutrition program, comprised of a gardening as well as, a cooking component gave each child a chance to participate in the growing, harvesting and preparing of organic foods. Five days each week children were in the garden and at the table. Losing the CNN grant that funded salary, notwithstanding some supplies and the cooking program leaves the gardening program in a precarious situation, much in need of help for its future. It has been a great start in this third year with the tastings of tomatoes and squash and the addition of co-teaching two integrated fourth/ fifth classes the Life Curriculum out of Columbia University, New York. Focusing on three of the components, 1). Food Production, 2). From Farm to Store, and 3). Food and Health: Nourishing the body. These classes take place in the classroom and in the field, or garden. Closer observation is required Another goal is to have a weekly healthy snack with the involvement of parents.

Garden instructor also makes garden videos and has produced two nutrition shows in support of our goals (available @6043279) on Berkeley television.