Edible Garden Coming to Romeoville Elementary School

ROMEOVILLE, IL — If all goes as planned, a new edible garden will be among the stops for Irene King’s highly-regarded summer reading program next summer thanks to a grant from the Valley View School District 365U Nutrition Services Department.

“This is incredibly exciting,” said King Principal April Vacik, who pointed out that the idea for an edible garden at the school has been on the drawing board for four years.

Tentative plans for the Romeoville elementary school call for anywhere from six to eight raised beds that will be built this fall in an area on the north side of the school by 2nd grade classrooms. Springtime plantings will include a variety of fruits, vegetables and spices. Possibilities include benches for children to sit and read.

“We’re hoping to use as much as we can to serve to the kids in our cafeteria,” Vacik said. “Plus, we promote healthy snacks here so maybe we’ll even be able to have our kids go out and pick their own snack.”

Vacik and her team have plenty of help launching the edible garden effort, including a mom who holds a degree in horticulture who is currently doing a business internship in organic gardening, an entire garden design class at Joliet Junior College and the VVSD Facility Operations Department.

Funding will come from the Nutrition Services grant and a Whole Foods grant secured several years ago by then King Assistant Principal Laura Lucas. JJC will donate the seeds and seedlings to get things started.

“With the launch of this edible garden and one more in Bolingbrook, VVSD will now have edible gardens at nine schools,” said Meghan Gibbons, VVSD’s Director of Nutrition Services. “It’s advantageous to teach the kids gardening because they’re more likely to eat fruits and vegetables not only when they come to school but also when they’re at home.”

Submitted by Valley View School District 365U

photo via Shutterstock