School gardens have become a victim of COVID-19. Those who used to tend to them—students and teachers—abandoned schools and the gardens on their grounds when the pandemic first took hold and nearly everyone went home.
However, some school gardens have not died. Some are thriving, producing fruits and vegetables that benefit communities.
Thanks to Atlanta-based Captain Planet Foundation’s Project Giving Gardens, several school gardens in DeKalb and neighboring counties are being cared for and harvested, with bounties being shared.
Ashley Rouse, director of the foundation’s Project Giving Gardens and Project Learning Garden, said three workers known as “growers” or “urban farmers” have been tending to 18 DeKalb school gardens including Sagamore Hills Elementary School, Burgess-Peterson Academy, Towers High School and DeKalb Preparatory Academy.
Tomatoes, squash, sweet potatoes, onions, kale and lettuces are among the produce harvested at these school gardens and then are given to organizations such as Columbia United Methodist Church, East Atlanta Kids Club and Branan Towers—a senior community—for distribution.
Growers throughout metro Atlanta provide assistance to 360 school gardens in Gwinnett, Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb Douglas counties as well as Atlanta. So far in 2021, almost 1,200 pounds of produce was harvested at the schools in metro Atlanta.
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