Boise Urban Garden School

Boise Urban Garden School Program Information
2009 Summer Program | 2008-2009 School Workshops- Elementary Schools

The Boise Urban Garden School curriculum centers around the essential question, “Where does our food come from?” In a world of food and fuel shortages, toxicity and disease associated with industrial food production, disappearing farmland, and a general disconnect from the natural world, we must carefully examine this question and involve our students in all aspects of the process. Whether seeding carrots in the spring, harvesting zucchini, chard and tomatoes in the fall, preparing ratatouille from garden ingredients, or pricing produce for the weekly farm stand, our students learn the skills and information necessary to reconnect with their food in a meaningful way.

With food at the center of the curriculum, BUGS uniquely integrates growing, harvesting, preparation, cooking and selling of our agricultural products. BUGS fills a growing need and is one of only a handful of local resources available to schools and neighborhoods wishing to develop urban gardens and reconnect our youth and community to Idaho’s agricultural history. By doing so we can ensure that human and environmental health play an important role in our children’s education.

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2009 Summer Program
Seven weeks, Ages 10-15 (finished 4th grade)
Tues, Wed, Thurs 9am-1:30pm
June 16th-August 7th, week of June 30th off

Are plants necessary?
What is waste?
Is soil alive?
What is a weed?
Why organic?
Is the only good bug a dead bug?
How can we manage pests without chemicals?
What is a seed?
Where does our water come from?
What is the true cost of our food?

Download the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 School Workshop Series Flyer! Click the graphic below or click here >>

Pre-programs survey for those interested in participating in BUGS in the Schools workshops
Download here >> (MS Word)

We will work with individual teachers to integrate into existing curriculum and hope to explore possibilities for planting on your school grounds. If you are interested in longer-term school garden possibilities, we are able to assist you in getting ready to undertake this project. We have given some careful thought to what is required to have a successful, sustainable program would love to share ideas with you. We can talk to parents and/or teachers, offering ideas and research, about how and why a school garden would be an educational advantage and positive community partnership (with parents, neighbors, refugee populations). We are currently pursuing grant funding and business sponsorships to supplement school funds in order to finance these school workshops.

Skeletal workshop outline:

October: “Getting Ready to Garden: Habitat and Garden Planning, Sunlight Patterns, Soil-Building and Composting, Water Use”

· Sun/shadow/wind data collection
· Compost, soil sampling
· Where does your waste go?
· Planting methodologies: Square Foot Gardens, Container Gardens, Raised Beds

Late February: “Seed Propagation”

· Good bugs/bad bugs: controlling pests in the garden
· How are insects connected to what we plant?
· Planting journals: Seed identification
· Plant seeds of plants that attract good bugs to the garden
· Plant seeds for hot crop starts (tomatoes, peppers, etc.)

Early April: “Garden Preparation”

· Tilling, double-digging, composting
· What to plant and where?
· Planting methodology- rows/square foot gardening
· Transplant seedlings
· Water sources
· Planting journals: Labeling plants
· What’s available for harvest now? Seasonality

Mid-May: “Planting”
· Starts and seeds into the garden
· Companion planting
· Watering and weeding
· Preparing lunch – what can we harvest and eat?
· Planting journals: Monitoring progress