To support sustainable community gardening efforts, The School Food Service (SFS) Department maintained the garden located at the North County Services Center utilizing the surrounding grounds to grow fruits and vegetables and to create an extended outdoor area for staff. In the third year of this garden, production for donation did not begin until the summer of 2014. In a short amount of time the garden beds were full of radishes, hot peppers, cucumbers, green beans, sugar snap peas, okra, watermelon, and the pride of the garden, mammoth sunflowers. A partnership was developed with the University of Florida/IFAS Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Service who donated butterfly plants, seedlings, and three new fruit trees. Walmart also donated Beach sunflowers which brought splashes of color throughout the space. 18 pounds of produce was delivered to St. George’s Episcopal Church and Community Center in Riviera Beach, Florida in the last month of the 2013-2014 school year. The SFS Department is looking forward to continued production in the 2014-2015 school year and hopes to expand upon the types of fruits and vegetables donated to community partners in need.

In the 2014-2015 school year, The Division of Support Operations will be publishing the School Garden Development Guide. Included in the guide will be lists of recommended and prohibited plants, facility requirements, maintenance procedures, safety considerations, and resources for assistance. It is the department’s hope that this guide will assist schools with planning, building, and maintaining a wide variety of gardens.