Noelani First Grader Garden

This fall SOFT did something new! We teamed up with the first grade teachers at Noelani to create a wonderful learning garden for their students. Over the last three months the first graders planted seeds, tended to their crops, and harvested the flowers and veggies to bring back and enjoy in their classroom.

This is how it all started. Here we are watering in a basil transplant, but we also sowed seeds for sunflowers, cosmos, daikon, carrots, green beans, mizuna, lettuce, green onion, and planted taro huli!

After several visits where the students tended their garden, it was harvest time. Here they are collecting flowers to make bouquets for their classrooms.

It might be next year's first graders who get to enjoy the taro harvest. But this year everyone is still working hard to keep the taro weeded. The kids have loved to watch these huge leaves grow from the huli we planted just a few short months ago!

Washing the harvest of daikon, carrots, mizuna, green beans and green onions. The first graders brought all the veggies back to school where they prepared and enjoyed a great veggie miso soup!

This is almost everyone! We had a great semester and it looks like the first graders will continue their garden through the spring. This has been a great opportunity for the kids to grow food, get out side and enjoy learning in their garden. Thank you to all of the wonderful UH student volunteers, faculty, and Noelani first grade teachers who made this possible.