Boulder – Whole Foods, The Kitchen, Holland and & Hart LLP, Eco-Cycle and Abbondanza Seed and Produce have been providing Our Love of Children Foundation with the community support needed to teach students how to grow nutritious organic food, live healthy lifestyles and be environmentally responsible. Bear Creek Elementary (2500 Mesa Drive) students will harvest their school vegetable garden on May 27 (10:00 a.m.) and make salad dressings (1:30 p.m.) with local chefs.
The Kitchen Chefs from The Kitchen restaurant are bringing their culinary expertise to teach students how to create delicious dressings for their school garden salad.
Holland & Hart LLP attorneys and staff members from the Boulder office have been celebrating their firm’s 60th anniversary by helping with the Garden to Table program. Attorneys and staff have been coming out to schools to help dig gardens, assisting with nutrition education classes, and providing general support to the non-profit’s efforts to promote healthy and sustainable living to children. More specifically, the firm is leading the program’s Harvest Bar initiative with the goal of raising $60,000 in the next year to bring fresh salad bars into all elementary schools in the district.
Whole Foods has been supporting Our Love of Children Foundation’s Garden to Table programs with donations of healthy, natural and organic products and staff volunteers
Abbondanza Seed and Produce farmers have been providing seeds, staffing and expertise in the creation of the school vegetable gardens
Eco-Cycle staff has been helping students understand the relationship between waste and environmental problems. Ecocycle’s Green Star Schools program has helped students learn about food waste and composting.
Media are invited!
Please contact BVSD Communications at 303-245-5825 to arrange your visit.
History
Over the last three years Our Love of Children Foundation has been working with Boulder Valley School District, advocating for school food reform and supporting student learning through an elementary school program called “ Garden to Table.” The Garden to Table program began in 2005 at Creekside Elementary in 2006 and has now expanded to four more schools this year.
The Garden to Table program inspires students, staff and families to adopt lifestyles that lead to personal and planetary well-being. By installing organic school gardens and working with teachers to incorporate wellness promotion, healthy food choices and sustainability practices into the curriculum, the program informs students not only how food is grown, but also about the community and ecosystems that support its growth.
Bear Creek Elementary School Principal Kent Cruger said ”having the garden at Bear Creek has generated even greater interest than I imagined. Children’s natural curiosity about worms, dirt, how things grow, and the amazement that we will actually eat what is grown in the garden has generated countless 'teachable moments' that have focused on healthy eating and environmental responsibility.” Teachers report that children are eager to inspect the growth of vegetables growing in the garden.
Bryce Brown, founder of Our Love of Children Foundation, is pleased with the community support that he has received in promoting personal and planetary well-being to children.