Love those links!
I started an edible garden at my highschool - it was the best experience and a great success! At first I had other teachers joking about how I 'let the kids run around the garden all day' but by the time I left the school there were several classes utilising the space and it was happily taken control of by the Students At Educational Risk and Learning Center (disabled) classes.
Some tips I have:
- An automatic timer for the sprinkler system (very cheap from hardware stores) will save you water and save your veges over school holidays and the weekend.
- I used several raised beds and students each got a small plot to design, look after and then harvest- Personal ownership got every student involved. Around this we had garden which had fruit trees, vines etc. Everyone shared the harvest and they got so excited when 'their' plants started growing
- I strongly recommend starting a worm farm
They are more appealing than compost piles. We have a guy who brings the worms to our school each year in a demonstration, students learn about decomposition and start mini-farms in coke bottles. He also set up a large worm farm for our garden and students love 'feeding and playing with the worms', it was harder to get them to turn compost, lol
Most of all, have fun and just do it!
The hardest part is starting - getting 'approval' to use that wasted, rubbish filled, derelict piece of land at the side of the arts building, ensuring student safety, buying the plants, setting up the reticulation etc etc doing all the un-fun stuff. But once it's going you'll never look back.
Good luck!
