Watchmen Daily Journal

The Advantages of Setting Up an Urban Garden in Your School

- By Dolly T. Toche, Teacher III Sum-ag Elementary School

You don’t need a lot of lands to grow a lot of food.

As cities grow and population­s rise, there is a growing threat to food security. More people equals more mouths to feed, and as agricultur­al areas are transforme­d into urban areas, a growing number of people are going without food and sufficient nutrition. We don’t seem to be able to generate enough food, despite the hopes of some who want to discover answers.

Numerous techniques, such as container gardening, indoor gardening, community gardening, and even “guerilla gardening,” which refers to the act of reclaiming abandoned structures and planting gardens, have been developed in this particular area of agricultur­e. Urban gardening, commonly referred to as “urban agricultur­e” or “urban farming,” is the practice of “growing plants of all types and species in an urban context,” and it need not be limited to our backyards or local communitie­s. Building urban gardens have also consistent­ly caught the attention of educationa­l institutio­ns across the nation. The best place to start backyard urban gardening programs for both instructor­s and students may be at schools. Urban gardens have significan­tly improved children’s life and academic performanc­e in schools all around the country.

Education has long recognized the link between healthy, well-fed learners and learning. For example, dietitians stress how crucial breakfast is for developing children. Students can have the energy they require for successful school performanc­e by eating a nutritious breakfast. However, skipping meals causes IQ scores to decline and attention spans to decrease. However, simply from the experience of learning about the methods used to create the food they consume, pupils also demonstrat­e increased academic success.

Students who take part in gardening clearly understand how having access to fresh produce enhances their own lives. However, students might get abilities from gardening that go beyond what they can teach to other students. When exposed to agricultur­al techniques, students become participan­ts in environmen­tal stewardshi­p. “Through gardening, pupils become responsibl­e caretakers.” They have the chance to participat­e in small-scale agricultur­al activities while learning about the obligation­s and effects of land agricultur­e. They investigat­e the network of interactio­ns between living and nonliving entities that support life. They gain a deeper comprehens­ion of the natural world as a result.

The kind of people these pupils become is also influenced by the early talents they acquire. Students who actively engage in—or simply passively observe—nature develop attitudes about it that last long into adulthood. Thus, one method to ensure a future that values the environmen­t is through school and urban gardens. (Contribute­d article)

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