Wisconsin schools promote healthy eating through gardening

Live54218 has been working for several years to teach people about the importance of eating garden-fresh vegetables.

The non-profit organization's goal is to encourage healthier lifestyles throughout Brown County. As summer swings around each year, one thing organizers focus on is encouraging people, businesses and schools to get their hands dirty by building their own veggie patch.

The group recently announced its third year partnering with KI to promote local gardening. Through the collaboration, 12 Green Bay area schools secured small grants to help fund on-site gardens. KI also established a work-site garden for employees.

The school garden mini-grants can be used for start-up funding toward planting, maintenance and harvesting activities, or for upgrades to existing gardens.

"Gardening for health is an old idea that is rapidly gaining wide recognition," said the group's garden specialist Kristin Denslow. "Research shows that well-nourished, physically active students perform better academically and school gardens are a great way to achieve both."

Live 54218 gave $400 to $600 to four local schools in 2015: Dickinson and Heritage elementary schools in the De Pere School District, Meadowbrook Elementary School in the Howard-Suamico School District and Westwood Elementary School in the West De Pere School District.

The Dickinson and Heritage earth clubs partnered with the De Pere High School Future Farmers of America program, Ledgeview Gardens, and the Green Bay Garden Blitz to grow fruit and vegetables for the cafeteria in their new raised garden beds.