Plant a Carrot, Get a Carrot!

In the winter, we planted a salad garden in a big half barrel outside my kindergarten classroom.  We planted one broccoli plant in the middle and surrounded it with lettuce and carrot seed. We enjoyed watching it grow throughout the cool season. Finally, it was harvest time for the broccoli; we ate the little "trees" raw. Later in the spring, we enjoyed some lettuce and, the week that school was done, we dug up the carrots. They had been showing us their shoulders-- tempting us-- for weeks.

I washed the carrots and cut off the green tops.

Each child who wanted to---and most did---got to use the vegetable peeler. Our little crop had done well and there were plenty of cut carrots to go around. They had requested ranch dressing to go with their carrots and I had that ready. Even the three who said they did not like carrots, changed their minds and enjoyed them with their friends, after all. There were even requests for seconds.

I have kept a flower garden for many years at school, but this was the first time I have attempted to grow food there. The kids were so enthusiastic about it, that I expect to continue.