Research shows that there are numerous health, nutrition, social, emotional, and academic benefits to gardening with young children. This may be the reason for the popularity and longevity of the Junior Master Gardener (JMG) program in Fond du Lac County, which has been around for 20+ years. JMG is a great example of a county Extension office collaborating across program areas to provide a service to the community. JMG is a partnership between the FoodWIse nutrition education program and the Master Gardener program. Amanda Miller (FoodWIse Coordinator/Health and Well-Being Educator) and Patty Percy (Community Gardens Coordinator and Master Gardener Volunteer) coordinate the program. Annually, it runs from March to August and designed for youth ages 8-12 years old. The program is a ‘seed to plate’ concept, which means that the children are involved in the entire process, from planting the seeds to harvesting the produce to preparing meals.
The 2019 summer was a successful one. From March until August, a total of 197 contacts were made with 27 enrolled kids. During the program, the children had the opportunity to:
- Learn about exotic produce from Festival Foods
- Learn about succulents from Haentze Floral Company
- Do garden science experiments to learn more about seeds, composting, etc.
- Create recipes from the garden, including mini pies, bruschetta, etc.
- Tour the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center
- Visit the Woodland Dunes Nature Center and Preserve
- Host a celebration for their parents by preparing 4 different kinds of pizzas, using produce from the garden
Parents were surveyed on their experiences following the program. 100% of parents that responded indicated that their child benefited from the program. Most parents said that they loved the program and quite a few have already made sure that their child(ren) are on the registration list for next summer.
