The success of a school garden depends on the support it receives from the school community. Often school gardens disappear after the staff garden lead leaves the school or becomes busy with other projects. The school gardens that are most sustainable generally have a team of people, representing diverse fields, who support the garden: teachers of various subjects, school leadership, food service staff, and facilities teams. Some gardens also benefit from non-profit or community partnerships.
To promote the long-term sustainability of your school garden, identify the team of people who will be involved in the garden design, construction, use, and upkeep, and find ways to incorporate the garden into the larger school community. Are there teachers who wish to use the garden as a living lab, or an outdoor classroom? Does the cafeteria wish to feature garden-grown produce? Does the school’s Wellness Liaison wish to use the garden to promote health and nutrition? Is the Sustainability Ambassador leading an after-school club or summer camp that could also benefit from the garden space? Begin the school garden process by identifying and reaching out to potential stakeholders. Students are some of the most important stakeholders to include on your garden team, and consider forming a garden club or green team of interested students. Finally, be sure to include your school administrator in your garden planning process. For a step-by-step guide on building a team see Chapter 2 of the Kids Gardening Seeds for Success Toolkit.
Exploring community resources is another valuable early step. Parks, neighborhood gardens, community associations, and other schools in your area can be good partners – for tool sharing, volunteers, fundraising, etc. This interactive map shows locations of urban farms and community institutions, with different data overlays. More information on urban farms is also available from the Farm Alliance of Baltimore. If you’d like further guidance and/or introductions, reach out to Farm to School staff (Farms@bcps.k12.md.us).