By Evangeline Heath

After watching Food Inc. and learning how big Agri-business has consumers by the brussels sprouts, my day spent volunteering with Garden School Foundation was a much needed ray of sunshine.

My husband and I pulled into the 24th Street Elementary School’s parking lot bright and early on Saturday morning not knowing what to expect. Located right alongside the Western Ave. exit on the notoriously traffic-laden 10 freeway in the West Adams district of Los Angeles, it certainly seemed like an unlikely place for a garden.

Walking onto the grounds, however, we soon found ourselves in a lush, green landscape. Classrooms surrounded a charming garden courtyard beneath a giant weeping willow. This was the school’s initial “test garden.” It’s now being used as an inter-curricular learning area. Two large banners boasted “Outdoor Classroom” and “Good Eats”.

Winding our way around the buildings, we came upon GSF’s flagship garden and were truly awe-struck. Three-quarters of an acre of verdant land, abundant with fresh herbs, vegetables and fruit trees. With the roar of I-10 in the background, this patch of green seemed miraculous. Instead of exhaust and pollution, we inhaled the scent of freshly laid hay, rosemary and honeysuckle.

Dr. Nat Zappia, an environmental historian specializing in Native California, and Director of GSF, greeted us with a warm smile and happily answered our multitude of questions. In 2003, LAUSD was going to lay down a fresh new coat of black asphalt in order to “beautify” the grounds. Classic. Second grade teacher Linda Slater and principal Yongpyo Grace Yoon, approached the community to see if they couldn’t think of something more imaginative and inspiring for the children than a concrete jungle. In short order, an enthusiastic group of parents and community members got together and GSF was born.

In 2005 GSF asked Nancy Goslee Power to draw up a plan that would fit all the needs of teachers, parents and students.  The garden is a testament to her outstanding work.  Here is just a sample of the wealth of learning experiences the garden provides:

• Cooking Curriculum: Volunteer chefs Jennie Cook and Gino Campagna lead two weekly “Slow Food Cooking” classes where students forage, prepare and cook their own food.
• Herb Project: Students grow herbs that they then sell to a local restaurant, Pitfire Pizza, developing skills in gardening, marketing, packaging and financial literacy.
• Science Garden: Standardized state science curriculum is integrated into garden-based lessons.
• Animal Habitat Workshop: Students learn the relationship between animal habitats, gardens and ecosystems.
• Yoga Workshop: Yoga in the garden!

Not only that, GSF has also started a Wild Food garden.  1/4 of an acre of the schoolyard is now devoted to edible native plants.  Lessons about food foraging and native Californian botany will also be worked into their school curriculum.

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Evangeline Heath is a foodie and sustainable living advocate. She blogs at www.farmapartment.com

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 15th, 2009 at 1:27 pm and is filed under Community Service, Everyday Heroes, Healthy Living, Sustainability. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.