SustainEd Farms' 2026 Spring Garden Programming

Summers at SustainEd Farms are a little more laid back. We settle into garden maintenance, take on larger garden projects and dabble in some programming but at a much slower clip. As we officially shift into 'summer mode' we wanted to take a moment and give you our early and late spring programming breakdowns.

Early Spring

• 37 schools

• 6,134 students

• Our early spring rotations included planting pea seeds and making a 'power pea dip'. These activities focused on learning the benefits that peas can have for the soil as well as our bodies. For example, peas are a great nitrogen fixer for the soil. Students had fun noticing that pea seeds are essentially the dried version of the pea that we eat! Many students were also surprised to learn that while they might not like the steamed peas that they have at home they did enjoy the dip which included mint, garlic and other fun flavors.

• We ask our Program Specialists to share any cute, funny or noteworthy stories from programming:

  • When asked, what did you learn today? One student said “I learned I love to garden!” And another student said “I learned pea tendrils are like jack in the bean stock!”

  • A very enthusiastic ECE (early childhood education) kid shared “I’m not a fisher-hunter anymore, I’m a gardener now! I want to be a gardener when I grow up!”

Late Spring

• 41 schools

• 5,790 students

• In the late spring we had so much fun planting in the garden with students. Students learned about how potatoes grow and we look forward to digging them up with students in the fall. During the nutrition rotation students made a carrot ribbon salad and were able to identify different flavor profiles such as umami, and sweet.

• We ask our Program Specialists to share any cute, funny or noteworthy stories from programming:

  • "Es una papa con tentaculos"

  • We had a bunch of super excited kids asking what food we were making today, calling the carrot ribbons “delicious worms,” “carrot ramen,” and “carrot fettuccine!”

Two students heads are together as they look at a seedling they just planted together

As we take care of the gardens this summer, making sure they are flourishing we look forward to exploring and learning new things alongside the students this fall!