Free Event to Help Teachers Learn about Benefits of School Gardens

School gardens have increasingly been sprouting up all over San Diego County, offering kids a hands-on approach to learning about horticulture, nutrition and science—and this week, a free resource fair will arm teachers will all the info and tools they need to make the most of these outdoor classrooms.

Educators from across the region are invited to attend the San Diego Ag in the Classroom Foundation’s annual Teachers Resource Fair on Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Paddock area of the Del Mar Fairgrounds.

This year’s theme is ‘Know your Farmer’ and the aim is to help teachers learn about the local agriculture and horticulture community. During the free event, they’ll meet local farmers and growers, enjoy food and wine, network with other teachers, learn tips for garden-based lesson plans and get goodie bags filled with giveaways they can use for teaching.

Elementary students who regularly spend time gardening in a learning-focused program tend to score significantly higher on standardized science tests, according to a study by the State Educational & Environment Roundtable (SEER), a coalition of 16 state education departments including California. The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics also found that children were more likely to enjoy and prefer fruits and vegetables if they’d been exposed to them through gardening.  San Diego Ag in the Classroom believes that agricultural education can empower families to make healthy lifestyle decisions, understand the importance of using the land for farming and perhaps even help students consider a career in agriculture.

Though the event is free, advanced registration is required. Please RSVP to the San Diego Farm Bureau by emailing Kathy@sdfarmbureau.org or calling 760-745-3023. For more information, visit sdfarmbureau.org.