Business-Backed Garden for Students Planned

The school garden will be based on the community garden concept with a number of added advantages for the kids.^

By DAN SMITH

A business and government backed program based on Alice Waters' wildly popular Edible Schoolyard at Chez Panisse Foundation in Berkley, Calif., is being put together in Roanoke. Waters is running several of the programs, but, says Cynthia Lawrence of the working-titled Edible Education says the two will not be directly affiliated because Waters does not want to overextend. Lawrence says the name of the program is not final because a copyright search has not been conducted.

The program will stress growing and preparing food by students at pilot site James Madison Middle School in Roanoke and could start as early as spring. The integrated curriculum will concentrate on the culinary and horticultural aspects, but will also include elements like childhood obesity. "It is about changing habits," says Lawrence, who ownsPerformanceLink Systems Inc. in Roanoke and is known for her healthy lifestyle.

Lawrence says the organization is "working closely with the Chez Panisse Foundation for teacher training, curriculum resources, community volunter training" and other pieces of the program.

Madison is surrounded by a good bit of land that has proper sun exposure and, says Lawrence, "Funding is not an issue." Already, Edible Education has "been promised a couple hundred thousand dollars, mostly private."

Among the organizations and institutions already lined up to help with Edible Education are local schools, Virginia Western Community College (which is next door and has a respected horticulture department and a culinary school), Virginia Tech-Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke City Schools, and a variety of community donors, volunteers, chefs, farmers, gardners and parents.

Lawrence says the business involvement is a no-brainer: "Business people know better than anybody else that better nutrition means better performance."

Among the goals:

• Teach students about food, health and wellness, self-sufficiency, responsibility;
• Improve nutritionAL food quality of school lunch programs;
• Connect with local farmers/food producers--understanding the supply chain; environmental and economic sustainability (slow Food culture);
• Create learning/mentoring opportunities for students through common interests in food and the culinary arts.
  
  The program's estimated budget for a one-acre garden serving 900 students is $184,000 in the first year and $149,000 in succeeding years. That includes staff, kitchen classroom and gardening costs.
  
  The entire program's budget would $400,000 a year with 80 percent of that supporting teachers and 20 percent as operating budget. The organization hopes to meet with Roanoke school officials Feb. 5 and City Council Feb. 15.
  
  Lawrence says, "We will be reaching out to others as things start to take shape, but it’s too early for some things to happen. With that said, anyone who is interested in participating should contact me via e-mail."