Murphy Students Eat What They Grow!
October 31, 2013 | Written By: Healthy Schools Campaign
Harvest time at Murphy elementary!
By Lauren Schneider, HSC Intern
To many of us, October 17th was just a cold and rainy Thursday in Chicago. To the kids at Murphy Elementary, it was still a cold and rainy Thursday morning. But, they didn’t let the weather get their spirits down. These kids were too busy having fun harvesting vegetables from their school garden!
Students in pre-K and fourth grade teamed up to pick carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and even some mint from their garden, and they had a blast doing it! Drew Thomas, School Garden Coordinator for Chicago Public Schools, was there to teach them the tricks of the trade. He showed them the proper way to harvest a carrot, being careful not to pull the tops off leaving the carrot stuck in the ground.
Murphy Elementary has been piloting Chicago Public Schools’ “Eat What You Grow” program for about a year now. They are one of 8 schools participating. Through this program, schools are given training and support to grow and harvest their own fruits and vegetables to serve in their very own school cafeteria.
Thomas has been enthusiastically working to implement this program in several schools across CPS for the past year. The program is still in the piloting stages, but the mission is clear.
“At its core, this program is about getting students excited about eating fresh, healthy produce. They're never more eager to eat a carrot than when they've just twisted it out of the garden!”
In all, 89 Murphy Elementary students got their hands dirty as they harvested dozens of carrots, tomatoes, and even a few peppers. The amount of produce that has gone from garden to cafeteria as a result of the Eat What You Grow program now totals over 250 pounds.
This program is an opportunity for kids to learn about healthy living. It can help them develop better eating habits and teach them the importance of overall health and wellness. And, when it includes a joyful day working together outdoors, that’s the cherry on top.
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HSC is pleased to see the growing (!) interest in school gardens.
- For more information on Eat What You Grow, please contact Drew Thomas at the CPS Office of Student Health and Wellness, at 773-553-1031 or at dmthomas21@cps.edu.
- Read about past adventures in gardening at Murphy Elementary!
- Love green schoolyards? Learn about Space to Grow, HSC's new initiative in partnership with Openlands.
