2024 Resources for Educators List
From general gardening information for Alabama to grants for school gardens to preschool and K-12 curricula to designing school gardens to be accessible to the greatest number of students, we hope this resource list connects you with the information you need to grow. If you have questions, comments, or other good resources to share, email us at farmer@eatsouth.org.
Garden Resources for Educators
E.A.T. South
E.A.T. South is a River Region resource for gardening information. We host a free seed swap in February, give transplants to schools in March & April, and organize (almost) monthly workshops on all kinds of garden topics from how to grow your own transplants to organic gardening to building rain barrels.
In the past, we have organized workshops just for teachers at the farm and presentations at schools. Contact farmer@eatsouth.org if you are interested in educator-focused garden workshops.
Join the Sprouts Garden Education Group on Facebook
General Gardening Resources
Alabama Cooperative Extension Services’ Planting Guide for Home Gardening in Alabama is the BEST free resource for knowing what to plant when in Alabama. It gives planting dates for both spring and fall gardens.
Grow More Give More is a program of Alabama Cooperative Extension Service that encourages gardeners to share extra produce with neighbors, food pantries and food banks. The Grow More Give More website includes videos to teach you gardening skills, materials lists for building different styles of gardens, and a lot more!
SOW App - App with Seasonal planting guide for Alabama available on your smartphone
iNaturalist - App for identifying plants, animals, insects
Timber Press Guide to Vegetable Gardening in the Southeast, Ira Wallace, book that provides month-by-month guides to gardening in the south. If you buy one how-to garden book, this is the best.
Tiny Victory Gardens, Acadia Tucker, (book) is all about growing vegetables in containers. All you need is a sunny spot big enough for a few pots, and you can have a garden.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds - Seed company with great “how to grow” information
How to Guides for School Gardens
Whole Kids Foundation School Garden Resource Center takes you, step-by-step, through the process of building your school garden, from making the case for a garden to your principal to celebrating your garden’s successes.
Four Steps to Cultivating a School Garden Program & Seven Steps to Creating a Garden, Mississippi Farm to School Network, Short resource that will help you plan, site, and form your garden committee. Get your garden growing right!
Getting Started, Junior Master Gardener Program, tips for planning and starting your garden
The Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea, Alice Waters, inspirational book about building a garden at a middle school in Berkeley, CA. Good resource to show doubtful school administrators and staff.
How to Grow a School Garden: A Complete Guide for Parents and Teachers, book
Nature Study and Gardening for Rural Schools, George Washington Carver, 1910 pamphlet about school gardens reminding us that our ancestors were engaged in similar good work.
Research on Learning Outcomes for Gardens and Outdoor Education
Children and Nature Network - Information on benefits of nature for improving health and educational outcomes for children. Greening Schoolyards project supports turning school outdoor spaces into more natural areas.
Curriculum Resources
For K-12
Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program, Alabama Wildlife Federation, An outdoor classroom can include a vegetable garden. Alabama Wildlife Federation provides training, curricula, funding for outdoor classrooms, grants for existing outdoor classrooms, and a great monthly newsletter with ideas of what to teach and grow each month.
Project Learning Tree uses the environment to engage students in learning, both indoors and outside. Curriculum, training for teachers, and more.
Schoolyard Roots is based in Tuscaloosa and created the Alabama School Garden Curriculum, a K-5 garden-based math and science curriculum following Alabama standards and Cooking in the Classroom, a free online resource to help you cook with your students.
Edible Schoolyard Project, the Edible Schoolyard Network connects educators around the world to build and share a K-12 edible schoolyard curriculum. Website compiles curricula from across the country. Free online training for teachers.
National Farm to School Network resource page collects resources for farm to school programs, curricula, and more from across the country
The Junior Master Gardener Program has elementary and middle school curriculum.
Bonnie Plants 3rd Grade Cabbage Program - Resources and plants for schools
Minnesota Ag in the Classroom - Full K-12 curriculum available in printable PDF format online, garden guides, online classes, podcasts, virtual farm tours and more
Starting With Soil iPad app, one of many educational resources from the Center for Ecoliteracy
University of Georgia Extension School Garden Resources, Cooking guides, curricula (Mostly k-8) and mo
Life Lab School Garden Resources Life Lab is a California nonprofit that offers teacher training and curriculum development.
The Great Sunflower Project - pollinators and flowers in the garden
Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, named for a now extinct butterfly, this organization is dedicated to educating about insects, arachnids and mollusks. Lots of bug activities for kids.
School Garden Support Organization Network - Workshops, programs and a great monthly newsletter
Wisconsin School Garden Network - Great monthly newsletter and curricula for all ages.
For Preschool
Early Sprouts: Cultivating Healthy Food Choices in Young Children, book that can be used with or without a garden to encourage preschoolers to explore fresh food.
Gardening with Young Children: the second Edition of Hollyhocks and Honeybees, book, Over 60 garden activities designed for preschoolers
Learn, Grow, Eat and Go - Preschool garden curriculum from the Jr. Master Gardener program
Alabama Farm to ECE - Statewide resource for training and information for early childhood education centers.
Farm to Preschool, Resource list from the USDA supporting garden education and healthy eating at preschools. Curricula, recipes, information for parents, policy information and national conferences
Garden Grants
Whole Kids Foundation provides small grants for school gardens, lunchroom salad bars, and honey bee hive kits.
Seed Your Future Educator Grants- A-Z list of organizations that offer grants for school garden programs.
KidsGardening.org Small garden grants and other school garden information
Farm to School Grants - These are USDA grants that can be used to grow school garden programs.
MidSouth RC&D Council and other RC&D Councils in the state offer funding for garden and other programs in schools. Check their Facebook page in the spring for small grants for garden tools and seeds.
Lowes, Home Depot, Wal Mart, ACE and other stores offer small grant or gift card programs that can help you buy materials you need to build a garden.
WORMS!!!!
Worms are excellent composters for the school environment, will eat left overs from snacks, and make the highest quality compost for the garden.
Vermicomposting, North Carolina State University, lots of worm composting information including information for schools.
Cheap & Easy Worm Bin, Washington State University, Plans a worm bin made out of two plastic totes.
In 2024, E.A.T. South has funding to educate about composting and can help your classroom build a worm bin. Email compost@eatsouth.org.
Universal Design is the idea that environments should be designed to be accessible and usable by the greatest numbers of people.
Universal Garden Design - Universal Design considers making spaces accessible to the greatest number of people.
Sensory Trust is a British organization focused on gardens for all ages and abilities.
Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind Crop Production Handbook for Teachers includes excellent information about garden design and gardening with students who have disabilities.