Gardening and Nutrition Experiences
for the Young Child
The Early Sprouts Curriculum
Getting Started:
The Early Sprouts project began in the spring of 2006 with the building of eight raised garden beds on the playground of the Keene State College Child Development Center, the on-site demonstration program for early childhood care and education.
The beds were filled with alternating layers of compost, humus and topsoil, and organic gardening techniques were utilized to ensure safety for the children.
Vegetables that are easy to grow in our region (USDA Zone 5), available at Farmers Markets and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in our region during the growing season, and commonly available and affordable in the supermarket year round were selected.
Six vegetables representing a variety of colors and plant types were chosen, specifically carrots, tomatoes, green beans, bell peppers, chard, and butternut squash.
Children helped plant the seedlings and seeds in June and after months of anticipation harvested the vegetables in August and September, thus observing the complete growing cycle.
