Cornell Cooperative Extension Offers New Youth Gardening Programs
Project S.O.W. and Seed to Salad will give Cattaraugus County youth hands-on experience with gardening, nutrition, food systems, leadership and community connection.
ELLICOTTVILLE - Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County is happy to announce two new youth programs, Project S.O.W. (Seeds of Wonder) and Seed to Salad. These programs will help participants learn the skills needed to garden in a world where food supply and nutrition are not always guaranteed.
Project S.O.W. is a curriculum for young people ages 13-19 and will focus on food gardening with justice in mind. The program will center on personal growth, community connection, and equity. Youth will work together to investigate how to grow food, explore their relationship with the land and the food system, and practice leadership. They will discover the benefits of providing their families and communities with fresh and affordable food, and will gain firsthand experience in the self-determination, confidence, and connection that gardening brings.
Youth are becoming increasingly aware of food insecurity and Project S.O.W. will help them understand that we do not have to “do it all” to make a difference. When students hear about the good being done in our communities and feel they have a voice and a sense of belonging, then they can connect with this idea, and it will foster positive youth development.
The Seed to Salad program engages young people ages 3-12 in growing salad gardens of their own. The program emphasizes youth decision-making and uses a multidisciplinary approach involving nutrition, physical activity, art, planning, and problem solving. Participants will also use skills in math, science, and language arts, develop horticulture skills and learn how to make use of minimum garden space.
Because both programs focus on youth decision-making and have a high level of youth participation, students are more likely to stay interested and committed. Additionally, these programs can be offered either in school or during after school activities.
Cornell Cooperative Extension is offering both programs to Cattaraugus County school districts and area youth programs. If interested, please contact Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County at cattaraugus@cornell.edu, call 716-699-2377 or reach out directly to Sheldon Kenyon, Food Systems Educator at CCE, at smk348@cornell.edu.