A few in our group work with the elementary school kids. They teach how to plant raised beds, and general gardening stuff-- soils, fertilizers, pests, etc. They do not use the Jr Mg manual. It is important to get the committment of teachers and parents up front or well intended eforts may go for naught.

A group of our Master Gardeners ran this program this year, following the Texas A & M University curriculum. The garden was prepared on land behind our county agricultural office building and 5th grade students were transported from a local school and they attended lessons and planted, tended and harvested in their garden with guidance from MG's who had been through a training session. Several children came back (with their parents) after school was out for the year to continue to work in the garden and even submitted produce in the County Fair. Most of the produce is being donated to a local food bank.

Their garden was beautiful and apparently the endeavor has been a huge success.

I was not directly involved in the JrMG program, as I've been busy, as an "intern" who will graduate in November, helping to maintain the PAR (Plant-a-Row for the Hungry) garden that the interns started last year and passed down to the current class. However, if you're interested in more details, I'm sure I could obtain same, or perhaps put you in touch with someone directly involved with the project.

Diane

Thanks for the reply. We are located in the Lafourche/Terrebonne parishes of Louisiana. We have a school that wants to implement the JMG program into their curriculum. (I think we use the Texas A&M curriculum also.)
We did a flower bed with the kids and parents and it was wonderful. We hope to do many more projects with them.

Cheryl