Garden Implementation
Food based gardening is a beneficial activity that leads to the economical production and consumption of healthy and fresh foods. SNAP-Ed providers can play an instrumental roles in community food gardening for the low-income population. For more information about community gardening please click here.
SNAP-Ed Supports Food Related Gardening with allowable costs for seeds, plants, small gardening tools and soil. For more information and resources about nutrition education and gardening go to the USDA Food and Nutrition Services gardening page. You can also view the USDA/FNS webinar on school gardening.
Some ways to implement gardening into your program activities:
- Establishing community food gardens in low-income areas, such as public housing sites, eligible schools, and qualifying community sites;
- Assisting with starting a school garden and starting a farm-to-school program;
- Staff working with Tribal community volunteers to plant a kitchen garden at an FDPIR program site
CalFresh Healthy Living, UC Garden Purchases
Gardening Curriculum
The list below contains commonly used curricula supported by the CalFresh Healthy Living, UC Program. For a list of approved garden-enhanced nutrition curriculum click here.
Youth
Preschool
- CATCH Early Childhood Nutrition
- Early Childhood Learn, Grow, Eat Go!
Elementary
- CATCH Nutrition Curriculum
- Discovering Healthy Choices
- Eating Healthy from Farm to Fork
- The Great Garden Detective Adventure
- Learn, Grow, Eat, Go!
- Nutrition to Grow On
- Teams With Intergenerational Support (TWIGS)
After School
- CATCH Nutrition Curriculum
- Learn, Grow, Eat, Go!
- Nutrition to Grow On
- Teams With Intergenerational Support (TWIGS)
Middle School
- CATCH Nutrition Curriculum
- Teams With Intergenerational Support (TWIGS)
- YPAR (use if garden focus project is chosen)
High School
- Nourish
- YPAR (use if garden focus project is chosen)
Adult
- Fresh From The Garden
Family Centered
- Teams With Intergenerational Support (TWIGS)
Evaluation Resources
Click the link above for the recommended evaluation tools.
Resources from CalFresh Healthy Living, UC Garden Workgroup:
Resources from the SNAP-Ed Connection
- Using SNAP benefits to grow your own food - USDA
- Using SNAP benefits to buy seeds and plants - SNAP Gardens
- National Ag in the Classroom
- Collective School Garden Network
- Start a School Garden - Let's Move
- Teach Kids the FUNdamentals of Gardening - University of Illinois Extension
- Create an Indoor Salad Garden with your Children - Douglas County Health Department
Other Resources
- Establishing Protections for Community Gardens by NPLAN and ChangeLab Solutions
- School community gardens work by California Garden School Network
- School Garden Support Organization Network Website