The Edible Schoolyard

The Edible Schoolyard (ESY) consists of a thriving one-acre organic garden and kitchen classroom at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, a public school for grades 6, 7, and 8, in Berkeley, California.

Each student at King Middle School participates in the Edible Schoolyard. Garden classes introduce them to the origins of food, plant life cycles, community values, and the pleasures of work, while kitchen classes allow them to prepare and eat delicious, nutritious, seasonal dishes made from produce they have grown in the garden.

Fall 2008 marked the opening of the Dining Commons, a new lunchroom for King School. Designed to engage students, the Dining Commons features on-site composting and recycling stations and real tableware. The Dining Commons presents myriad opportunities to connect garden, kitchen, classroom, and lunchroom experiences.  

Impact

Since 1996, over 3,000 students have graduated from the Edible Schoolyard with the skills and knowledge they need to make lifelong, healthy choices about what they eat. 

The Edible Schoolyard hosts more than 1,000 national and international visitors each year, from educators and health professionals to community advocates and legislators. It has inspired and encouraged several hundred kitchen and garden programs across the country.

Looking Ahead

The Edible Schoolyard continues to provide a model for Edible Education. In the summer of 2009, ESY staff lead the first Edible Schoolyard Academy, providing kitchen, garden, and classroom educators with tools for teaching Edible Education. Contact us to find out about future trainings, or learn how you can help.

View a video of the Edible Schoolyard, or visit the Edible Schoolyard website.