The moment I laid eyes on this book I knew I wanted to read it, and I found it to be beautiful both inside and out.

Many years before “green” became fashionable, Alice Waters was living in Berkeley, California, running her own restaurant. Though she had been trained at the International Montessori School in London, Alice knew after several years of teaching that her true calling was the culinary arts. Soon she opened her own restaurant in Berkeley, California, but it was not too long before she began to notice that the once vibrant public education system was suffering.

Edible Schoolyard is full of beautiful photos taken by David Liittschwager of National Geographic

With all the beauty of synchronicity, Alice began to share her ideas and soon she had teachers and volunteers willing to make the dream a reality: a school garden. The idea of Edible Education involves the following principles: Food is an academic subject; Schools provide lunch for every child; Schools support farms; Children learn by doing; Beauty is language. Teachers are able to turn every type of lesson out of the school garden–lessons for math, writing, reading, and science to name a few.

Alice’s story quickly goes to your heart. I immediately wanted to find out if there were school gardens in our own public school system here in Jackson–and there are! Buddy Bounds and Noah Gray lead the Environmental Learning Program for the Jackson Public Schools. Since 1992, they have been providing all kinds of outdoor programs for students to enjoy. Some of these include: Gardening; Soil Erosion; Nature Trails; Fishing; Water Testing; Catfish Feeding; Soil Conservation; Recycling; Nonpoint Source Pollution; Plant/Tree Identification. All of this takes place on 640 acres that is said to be “breathtaking.” The area boasts a 35 acre lake, 14 miles of nature trails, three outdoor classrooms, catfish pond, ropes course, cemetery (1800 circa), old home sites, more than 75 different native trees, animals, and much more.

School gardens beckon individuals to come together whether you are a teacher, parent, child or involved citizen. I have heard of one more school garden devoted to just one school, Marshall Elementary. I wonder how they are doing. Do you know about a school garden in the area? Please comment if you do.

Much more information on Edible Education can be found on Alice Waters’ website.

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