The 2018 Edible Academy saw three days of garden education, culinary ideas for the classroom, and tours of various edible gardens throughout Houston. Over 30 area educators will take back to their schools and students fresh ideas on incorporating their school gardens into all learning areas.
On day one, participants experienced hands-on learning about composting, propagation, and planting in Gregory Lincoln’s Cultivated Classroom garden. Day two saw educators harvesting from the garden and preparing easy, seasonal recipes to try back at school. The last day of the Edible Academy, participants visited the Centennial Vegetable Garden (great place for field trips), and 3 gardens in underserved neighborhoods: Peck ES, Blackshear ES, and the Third Ward Multi-Service Center.
Tykisha Murphy, a participant in this year’s Edible Academy said, “I [decided to take this workshop because I] wanted to learn how to engage children effectively… Most children aren’t very connected with their environment. They don’t know where their food comes from. They don’t really know anything about outside life. They know TV and video games, but when you show them where their food comes from, they want to learn how to do it and cook it, and then they want to show it to their family and friends. And it’s just a cycle that goes crazy.” Photos by Pilar Hernandez.