Community Organic Gardening for Rural Michigan Kids
I would like to use part of my small, organic farm to create a community organic gardening class for kids in rural Michigan, where they have almost nothing to do in the summer. Each child would get a small plot to plant, weed, and grow the veggies of their choice, and take them home after harvest.
Idea Description
Teaching kids to garden organically would help increase awareness of green agriculture, provide kids with something productive & enjoyable to do in the summer, teach valuable skills, provide disadvantaged families with a fresh, local produce, give kids the satisfaction of producing something worthwhile and meaningful, and keep kids out of trouble here in rural Michigan, where there are no community centers, YMCAs, or other places to provide kids with affordable, enjoyable summer activities. Class would meet once or twice a week, and kids would be able to take home their harvest to share with their family. You can check out my farm and store here: http://www.thegreatergreen.com/farm.html
What will you do if you win $10,000 for this idea?
In order to effectively teach a gardening class, I would need a small building/shed on our frontage in Grand Junction, MI, a fenced-in plot, multiple sets of tools for kids to use, seed, organic fertilizer, organic mulch, hoses, a computer or two for kids to research gardening, and a bit of advertising to spread the word. My husband is a carpenter, and can do all the building/labor, but we need to be able to purchase the supplies. Ideally, there would be only a minimal charge for the class, and disadvantaged kids would receive "scholarships", so that they could attend for free. We have the farm, some of the necessary tools, the necessary skills- so we are already half way there!
Vote for it now.
Love your idea. I would love to see organic gardening as a class taught in public shools!