Gardeners produce nutritious vegetables, empowering them to lower their food bills and beautify their communities. The Youth Farmstand Project provides at-risk youth with real job training through the entrepreneurial experience of owning and operating a retail farmstand business. This statewide trucking operation will provide Jersey Fresh produce to the various farmstand sites. The Children's Gardening and Environmental Education Program provides children the opportunity to become active players in community gardening. This hands-on program includes an interdisciplinary educational curriculum that encompasses horticulture, ecology, nutrition, language arts, crafts, and heritage storytelling.
Educational activities promote literacy, creativity, health and social skills.
Gardening experiences encourage children to develop positive relationships with the natural world. The School Yard Ecology Program integrates themes of food, ecology and the community and will enhance learning among students by employing a diversity of educational approaches. This program has extensive benefits for children, school faculty and nearby communities. Schools and their grounds provide abundant opportunities for experiential learning, community building and environmental rehabilitation. The Cook Student Organic Farm is managed by Rutgers' students and grows three acres of vegetables.