School and community garden projects are not new; they have been planted and have flourished for years. Over time, I have learned that the most successful gardens, the ones that truly take root in a community, share two critical ingredients. They are somewhere children return to all year, and they are championed by people who believe in their power to change lives.
In New Hampshire, a state known for its short growing season, such a garden has taken root. A small but dedicated team of SNAP-Ed educators, whose mission extended far beyond the traditional classroom, saw the garden for what it truly is: an outdoor classroom, rich with lessons about food, the environment, and healthy choices, especially for children in under-resourced communities.
We used the SNAP-Ed curriculum The Great Garden Detective Adventure, which invites children to explore fruits and vegetables with all five senses before ever taking a bite. With magnifying glasses and journals, our “garden detectives” observed, sketched, smelled, touched, and eventually tasted different foods growing in the garden. This multi-sensory approach allowed even the most hesitant students to engage at their own pace, building curiosity, comfort, and confidence.
One student’s journey remains with me. He was quiet and reserved, and expressed himself best through art. At the start of the program, he refused to try new foods. The textures were unfamiliar, and the smells were too strong. But each week, he showed up. He drew in his journal. He listened. He watched. Then, one day, everything changed. After missing the class where we harvested lettuce, he returned and asked, “Can we go to the garden? I missed harvesting the lettuce.” Then came the question none of us expected, “Can I taste it too?”
He took a bite. He proudly recorded it in his journal. That single bite was a powerful breakthrough, the result of weeks of gentle exposure and trust-building made possible by this program and its teachers.
Transformation does not happen overnight. It happens through consistent, relationship-based programming, made possible by SNAP-Ed.
Check Out Our New Health & Well-Being Page
Our specialists help create healthy people and healthy places in New Hampshire.
Featured Program
The University of New Hampshire Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. UNH, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and New Hampshire counties cooperating. Direct inquiries to unh.civilrights@unh.edu. USDA this institution is an equal opportunity provider. The preparation of this document was financed under a contract with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services. This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP.
