Wisconsin Department of Health Services

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Got Dirt? Gardening Initiative

In an effort to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in Wisconsin, the Department of Health Services' Nutrition and Physical Activity program developed "Got Dirt?" - a program designed to assist with the implementation of school, community, and child care gardens.

Never gardened? The Got Dirt? Garden toolkit is designed to provide simple, step-by-step plans for starting a garden. Even better…tips from garden experts and garden success stories from around Wisconsin are also included.

To request a copy of the toolkit, please complete and return a Got Dirt? Garden Toolkit Order Form (PDF, 216 KB) or you may download a copy of the toolkit via this page.

Note: The PDF version of the "Got Dirt?" Garden Toolkit available on this page is very large and may take a long time to open and / or print from your computer, particularly for people using a dial-up connection.

Got Dirt? Garden Toolkit (PDF, 2.7 MB)

Got Dirt? Training Session Schedule

Interested in learning how to start a garden at your local facility?

Attend a Got Dirt? Training Session and learn the background of the program and various gardening techniques, such as cold frame gardening, raised bed gardening, container gardening and microfarms, which can be easily planted at local educational facilities. Information will also be provided about funding opportunities and grants.

Space is limited for each training session. Please contact Kristen Buettner at 920-391-4655 or Buettner_KM@co.brown.wi.us to register.

Date & Time	Location
Sat., Sept. 19 1:00-4:00 p.m.	UW Peninsular Research Station Classroom and Master Gardener Youth Plot 4312 Hwy 42, Sturgeon Bay, WI
Tues., Sept. 22 5:00-8:00 p.m.	Spooner Elementary School 1821 Scribner Street (Hwy K) Spooner ,WI
Thurs., Sept. 24 5:30-8:30 p.m.	Dane County UW-Extension Lyman Anderson Agriculture and Conservation Center 1 Fen Oak Court Madison, WI
Sat., Sept. 26 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.	Klingers Farm Market 12756 132nd Street Chippewa Falls, WI
Thurs., Oct. 22 6:00-9:30 p.m.	La Crosse County Administrative Center 400 4th Street North La Crosse, WI
Sat., Nov. 7 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.	Gardens of the Fox Cities 1313 Witzke Blvd. Appleton, WI

Learn more about the Got Dirt? Gardening Initiative, which trains teachers and childcare providers to start youth gardens at their own facilities.

Need Help Starting a Garden?

To locate a volunteer Master Gardener or for questions related to gardening, contact your county UW-Extension Office.

University of Wisconsin-Extension Urban Horticulture has information and links to a series of helpful publications that provide even more details and great tips on gardening.

Need Help Extending the Growing Season?

Learn more about using cold frames to extend the school garden growing season.

Here are some additional resources that will help to get your garden growing.

Funding

Need funding for a fruit and vegetable garden? Search these organizations for possible grant opportunities.

National Gardening Association and Home Depot Youth Garden Grant
Fiskars Project Orange Thumb Grant
Scotts Give Back To Grow Grant

National Resources

National Gardening Association Offers national gardening news and regional reports
The Edible Schoolyard: This site from a Berkley, California school, is an excellent example of a successful farm-to-school program. This site also offers how-to ideas for starting your own garden
Garden Mosaics: Youth gardening assistance using educational resources and activities. The focus is to learn from elder community members, who share their gardening practices, cultural backgrounds, and wisdom about their community.

Curriculum

Buds 'n Sprouts offers 75 in-class and out-of-classroom activities for gardening with kids. For more information, contact:

Havenwoods State Forest 6141 N. Hopkins Street Milwaukee, WI 53209 (414) 527-0232

Junior Master Gardener Curriculum includes science, biology, math, botany and reasoning skills through horticulture; both in-class and out-of-classroom activities are included

Kids World - Plant Nutrition: Offers kid-friendly explanations of plants and their essential nutrients

Wisconsin Resources

Visit these great links to local resources for Wisconsin gardeners.

The Wisconsin Gardeners: Sponsored by Wisconsin Public Television, this site contains great hands-in-the-dirt tips on gardening.
UW-Extension Expert Advice for common garden questions.
Wisconsin Master Gardener: An association of gardeners who assist the community in understanding horticulture and the environment. Visit this site to locate a local volunteer master gardener.
Dane County Community Food and Garden Network
Wisconsin Homegrown Lunch Program

Continuing Education Opportunities

The Wisconsin Teacher Enhancement Program: Offers professional development programs for teachers. The Growing Gardens Growing Minds course will be offered in the summer of 2006.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens Offer classes for growing children's gardens.

Wisconsin Youth Gardens

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Last Updated: October 08, 2009