Sweet Success in the School Garden
4-H and Youth Programming
Josh Fuder
County Extension Agent
University of Georgia
Canton
Abstract
School gardens face a significant challenge during the 7-8 week summer break, as traditional vegetable crops require ongoing maintenance, including watering, pest control, and harvesting. If left fallow, garden beds become overrun with weeds, necessitating extensive cleanup before use in the new school year. To address this issue, the Cherokee ANR agent has long promoted sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) as a low-maintenance summer crop for school gardens. However, adoption has been limited by cost, availability of transplants, and teachers' busy schedules in May.
To overcome these barriers, the Cherokee ANR agent collaborated with Cherokee High School's FFA program in March to lead a hands-on propagation activity. High school students cultivated and nurtured 15 flats of ‘Bonita’ and ‘Mahan’ sweet potatoes, ensuring the availability of healthy, rooted transplants by early May. These plants were distributed to ten schools across the county through a partnership between Extension and the Cherokee County Farm Bureau. To encourage participation, the Farm Bureau sponsored cash prizes for the highest overall yield and the largest single sweet potato. Additionally, to assist teachers unfamiliar with sweet potato cultivation, the Cherokee ANR agent developed an instructional YouTube video, which garnered 649 views in its first month.
Six schools successfully grew and harvested their sweet potatoes, producing a collective yield of over 260 pounds, which was utilized in school cafeterias. Educators recognized the value of incorporating a crop that required minimal maintenance over the summer, reducing the need for extensive garden preparation in the fall. Ms. Amber McFarland, a Science Enrichment/Agriculture Teacher, highlighted the educational benefits of the project, noting that it engaged students in the life cycle of sweet potatoes, plant care responsibilities, and sustainability practices. Additionally, sweet potato blossoms contributed to the 2024 Great Pollinator Census.
Culinary staff integrated the harvest into school meals in creative ways. At R.M. Moore Elementary, the 117-pound yield was used for a Thanksgiving luncheon, while Avery Elementary students sampled roasted sweet potatoes with cinnamon. The initiative successfully demonstrated the potential of sweet potatoes as a sustainable, low-maintenance summer crop, fostering hands-on agricultural learning while enhancing school meal programs.
Authors: Josh Fuder
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Josh Fuder County Extension Agent, University of Georgia, Georgia, 30114