A Primer on School Gardens

School gardens provide students with enriching learning opportunities outside the traditional classroom while also supplying fresh produce to school cafeterias. 

In California and across the country, school garden programs implemented as part of farm-to-school efforts have myriad benefits for students’ health and well-being — from improving food security to increasing physical activity and shaping positive attitudes and behaviors toward fruit and vegetable consumption. Federal policy supports the implementation of school gardens and other farm-to-school partnerships, and California laws and policies provide guidance for school garden programs within the state. 

This primer highlights high-level legal and policy considerations for starting a school garden program in California, and is designed to support communities in developing, implementing, and sustaining school garden efforts. It also places these initiatives within the broader context of farm to school policies, which may include food, nutrition, and agriculture education; local procurement; school wellness policies; and related initiatives.