Delta Garden Study Uses ARCF Grant to Teach Kids to Cook Healthy Foods

Last summer, Mabelvale Middle School's campus was transformed into a garden laboratory - the first phase in a major USDA-funded experiment to discover whether childhood obesity can be decreased and school bonding increased through...gardening.

Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Insititute is leading the Delta Garden Study partnership, which will eventually expand to 20 schools. "We're targeting middle schools because they represent a fragile population on the cusp of adolescence. They're developing a lot of their social behaviors and eating and health behaviors," said Reasearch Associate and Program Manager Emily English.

Through the program, students spend at least 45 minutes twice a week in the garden. An ARCF grant provided kitchen equipment and utensils so students can eat what they grow. In November, the Mabelvale Middle School garden hosted a "Dig Day" where kids got to help dig up a portion of the school courtyard to expand their garden AND prepare and taste seasonal veggies.

On the menu were braised greens, sweet potato soup and a simple salad with homemade dressing. "The kids loved it!" said Research Associate Rachel Schichtl.