Nutrition and Kitchen Gardens Project Example
Visit Online Learning 303: Food Security, Nutrition & Home Gardens
Start small, think simple. The purpose of the first year's workshops and garden development is to give the participants a win—so that they will be encouraged to plant again the following year.
Work with an agriculturalist in your area to list plants rich in vitamin A, and fruits that offer protein and fats like avocados. Work with villagers to pick the things from the list they would be interested in growing first.
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Kitchen Gardens 1.1: Family Nutrition & Gardens. Learn how planting even a small garden can increase the quantity of food a family receives, how to choose plants that will provide essential vitamins, proteins and oils, and how harvests can be planned to coincide with months when the supply of staples is low. |
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Kitchen Gardens 1.2: Forming beds and planting seeds. This workshop will help participants have a successful first-year garden, even if small. We will discuss the importance of organic matter in the soil and well-dug beds, and provide and plant seed for nutritious, vitamin A rich, local vegetables. |
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Kitchen Gardens 1.3: Care & Maintenance. This workshop will address proper watering, weeding - and fertilizing with locally available manures. We will also discuss garden architecture such as fencing, stakes and plant supports. An introduction to pest management will be covered. |
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Kitchen Gardens 1.4: Composting. Organic matter in garden soil provides nutrients, structure and holds water. Vegetable matter such as leaves, kitchen waste and manure can be placed in a pile for 3-6 months for partial decomposition. This workshop gives us a jump-start on year 2 Kitchen Gardening. |
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Kitchen Gardens 2.1: Seedlings. In year one, we planted seeds directly into the garden bed. In preparation for an expanded year 2 garden, we will plant some seed in containers and transfer them to the garden bed after 3 months. This allows us to expand the variety and health of fruits & vegetables. |
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Kitchen Gardens 2.2: Soil. Soil is a living, breathing organizm of sand, clay, organic matter, earthworms, nutrients, minerals, water and plant roots. It can suffer from being to acid, too wet, too dry and too sandy. This workshop will detail the importance soil handling and of introducing compost and manure. |
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Kitchen Gardens 2.3: Pests. Pests can contribute to the early death of plants, and can ruin individual fruits or vegetables. Surrounding tempting producers like tomatoes with garlic, or mixing different kinds of crops together in the same bed can mislead insects about location. |
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Kitchen Gardens 2.4: Lessons Learned & Planning for Year Two. After first season successes it may be time to expand your garden in preparation for year two. This involves space planning and the election of new plants to try. Did you track successes, challenges, yield and family favorites in the first season? |
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Nutrition, Meal Planning & Cooking 1. Children need more than grain for growth and vitality. They also need fats, calories, proteins, vitamins and micronutrients. Participants learn how to plan and prepare balanced meals that are appetizing, healthy and utilize produce from their new gardens. |
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Nutrition, Meal Planning & Cooking 2. This workshop expands upon Nutrition 1 by including budgeting, bulk buying as a group, the importance of vitamins A, C and D, and additional information on ratios for grains, dairy, meat, fruits and vegetables in a week's meals. |
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Nutrition and Kitchen Garden How-To Card. How-To cards are a two sided sheet that can be downloaded, photocopied and given to workshop participants to take home. They are illustrated, don't have words, and serve as reminders of what was learned in the workshops. |
24 Month Health, Nutrition and Garden Project Part One: Months 1 - 12
24 Month Health, Nutrition and Garden Project Part Two: Months 13 - 24