SARASOTA COUNTY UF/IFAS EXTENSION & SUSTAINABILITY
The Journey to Sustainability Begins with Education
6700 Clark Road
Twin Lakes Park
Sarasota, FL 34241
941-861-5000
[email protected]
http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu
Joint Council of Extension Professionals
Public Issues Leadership Development
2016 Conference
Maria Portelos-Rometo, Ed.D.
Stacy Spriggs, P.W.S.
Objectives
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The audience will understand the value of having
a replicable model to follow.
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The audience will understand how collaboration
enhances connectivity with other programs and
organizations relative to school gardens.
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The audience will understand how Sarasota
County has been successful with maximizing
impacts.
Why invest in gardens?
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Hands-on learning
Outdoor classroom
Educational tool
Physical activity
Therapeutic
Special needs
Reaches difficult students
Sparks interest
Empowering
Positive Elements continued…
 Career
awareness
 Fosters teamwork
 Nutrition
 Willingness to try
healthy foods
 Sense of fulfillment
 Improves scores
 Site improvement
Curriculum Areas
 Science
 Mathematics
 Nutrition
 Geometry
 Culinary
Arts
 Economics
 Physical Education
 History
 Language
Arts
 Reading
 Art
 Agriculture
 Natural
Resources
 Social Studies
 Botany
Time for a Change…
With the introduction of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010,
awareness in the value of growing your own food increased.
In 2011, Sarasota lacked coordination and standards which created
hurdles and confusion. As interest grew, the need for a cohesive
program became apparent.
Extension hired a dedicated Community and School Gardens
Coordinator.
Over the following years, a consistent framework for gardens was
developed and implemented.
Program Challenges
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Vision
Program clarity
Project ownership
Identifying partners
Standardization
Logistics
Resources
Marketing
Outreach
Product research
Volunteer engagement
Designing workshops
Communication
Teacher Challenges
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Time
Maintenance
Watering schedule
Access to water
Closing for breaks
Lack of experience
Pest management
Food safety
Organic practices
Lack of support
Funding
Storage
Ongoing enthusiasm
Construction skills
Curricula connections
Kidshealth.org
Where do we start?
Framework
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Access to UF research
Training on edible gardening
Master Gardener volunteers
Connections to grants and supplies
Networking with other gardens
Curriculum
Partnerships
Start-to-finish guidance on establishing,
maintaining, harvesting, and closing
Breaking Down the Silos
Challenges Solutions
Replicable
Model
Crafted start-to-finish Salsa
Garden program, including
establishment, maintenance,
harvest, and closing.
Partner
Extension,
Growers,
Youth
Organizations,
Teachers &
Students
Breaking Down the Silos
Challenges Solutions
Partner
Resources
Extension,
Local
Businesses
Researched program elements,
which products to use, best
practices, organizations, and
grants.
Breaking Down the Silos
Challenges Solutions
Partner
Curriculum Utilized Junior Master Gardener,
Gardening for Nutrition, and
USDA options:
• YUM
• YUM-ee
• Grow It, Try It, Like It!
• The Great Garden Detective
Adventure
• Dig In!
Extension,
Florida
Dept. of
Agriculture,
USDA,
Texas A&M
Breaking Down the Silos
Challenges Solutions
Partner
Training
UF/IFAS
Extension,
Florida
Dept. of
Agriculture
Designed:
• School Gardens 101
• Growing Edibles Locally
• Master Gardener workshops
• Community Garden Member
Orientation
Replicable Model
PUT
GARDEN
TO BED
TRAIN
HARVEST
PLAN
TEACH
&
GROW
BUILD
PLANT
Program Impacts through
Leadership
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Increased internal
collaboration
Educational impacts
Easier pathway for
teachers
Defined roles and
responsibilities
Bringing awareness to
the value of school
gardens by presenting at
national conferences
Partner: Family Nutrition Program
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Provides resources and
supplies to SNAP-eligible
locations
Educates with researchbased curricula on
nutrition, gardening skills,
food safety techniques
Connects farmers with
schools to increase
purchases of local foods
through the Farm to
School program
Provides food
experiences
2015-2016
FNP Partnership Impacts
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685: Nutrition education classes
taught
307: Garden-themed lessons
63: Harvest lessons
14: New gardens created
7: New partnerships created
13.5: Gallons of rainbow bean
salad
6,274: Students and staff
involved each semester
7,200: Garden seeds distributed
each semester
2,100: Starter plants provided
each semester
And The Growing Continues….
Each semester from 2012present, an average of 4 new
salsa gardens have been
created. Our Community
Gardens Program is also
thriving with an efficient
framework in place.
Nokomis Community Garden
Ongoing Training
Touching the lives of children…
our greatest impact!
Before
2011
27 School Gardens
After
2016
55 School Gardens
Questions?
Contact information
Maria Portelos-Rometo, Ed.D.
Family and Consumer Sciences Agent
941-861-9804
[email protected]
Stacy Spriggs, P.W.S.
Gardens Programs Coordinator
941-861-9815
[email protected]
Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension & Sustainability
6700 Clark Road
Twin Lakes Park
Sarasota, FL 34241
941-861-5000
[email protected]
http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu