Healthy School Gardens in D.C.

This week as the new Georgetown Safeway in Washington, D.C. opened, those grocery stores and the DC Public Schools had another announcement: they are joining with the nationwide Alliance for a Healthier Generation to develop 10 ‘healthy school gardens’ in the District. Each garden program is to receive a grant from Safeway to construct, plant, and harvest the gardens. According to Steve Neibergall, the President of Safeway’s Eastern Division, this is “our commitment to education and nutrition, especially as it relates to combating childhood obesity.” The first garden was planted at River Terrace ES.


And here’s what Ginny Ehrlich, the Executive Director of the Alliance had to say:

School gardens combat childhood obesity by teaching young people about the rich variety of fruits and vegetables available and encouraging them to sample and add new healthy options to their diet. The physical activity from working in the garden itself also helps keep them active and strong.

And where is our own Montgomery County, MD Board of Education’s ‘commitment to education and nutrition?’ Well, we know they have banned 'healthy school gardens.' As for education, they are more concerned with funding highly paid central office staff than making sure our children are taught in clean, healthy, classrooms.  How sad.