Page 120 - FY21 Wellness Promotion Policy Annual Report

STUDENTS
Physical Education
& Physical Activity Environment &
Physical Environment EMPLOYEES Engagement Family Physical COORDINATING POLICY, PROCESS, AND PRACTICE Counseling, Social & FAMILIES
Nutrition
Community
Involvement
Services
Psychological
Services
HEALTHY SAFE
CHALLENGED SUPPORTED ENGAGED
Social &
Environment
Emotional
Employee IMPROVING LEARNING AND HEALTH Health Climate
Wellness Education
Health
Services
COMMUNITY
In addition to all the benefits that Soil & Soul, Inc. will generate by growing food and tackling the food insecurity
issue that currently exists in Palm Beach County, another intention of this long term license agreement is to
create a template of consistent practices that the District can leverage to work with other community partners
looking to do similar work with schools throughout Palm Beach County.
September 2020…
After months of roundtable discussions and focus groups, Soil & Soul, Inc. decided they were in the “grounding”
business and that their work was deeply rooted in building healthy SOIL and healthy SOULS and the connection
between the two. Regenerative and sustainable gardening practices is a mindful way of building healthy soil
and nutrients with zero waste in a closed loop system. Gardening and mindfulness allow them to address the
personal and emotional well-being of this community and also, supports physical health with food grown in
an intentional system without chemicals.
Additionally, Soil & Soul, Inc. has redefined their mission and their vision to focus more on revitalization
of neglected green spaces and creating gardens that could provide tools for our youth to be able to fulfill
their community service hours while learning entrepreneurial skill sets rooted in social and environmental
responsibility to create a healthier society and a brighter future for all involved.

Outdoor Classroom and Venue for the School and Neighborhood

Another intention of the Tiger Territory Education Garden is to offer classes to teach students how to grow
their own food, plant crops and harvest produce to take home. The overarching intention of the TTEG is to
educate the community and allow them to engage in a beautiful revitalized green space while supporting
good physical health and emotional well-being. To ensure the community and students are protected from
the sun while they learn, Soil & Soul, Inc. intends to build a Chickee Hut which will allow the garden to be a
year round venue for the neighborhood and North Grade Elementary.

TTEG Programs and Intentions

The intention is that the TTEG will be the model garden that will be recreated in different neighborhoods,
meeting each community where they are, with the intention of teaching regenerative, sustainable gardening,
and mindfulness practices.

At the beginning of the pandemic, after meeting members of the community, Soil & Soul, Inc. felt inspired to
shift their focus in the TTEG to produce annual vegetables that have a quicker growth rate. Now Soil & Soul,
Inc. is showcasing the potential of perennial-focused agriculture, by planting diverse populations of bananas,
plantains, papaya, and specialty fruit trees such as Avocado, Barbados Cherry, Mulberry, Starfruit and others.
These species in their beginning years, allow for annuals to be planted between them, making great use of
the solar window that has not yet closed between the tree canopies. This is at once, aesthetic, practical, and
edible. They are also demonstrating proper management of these plants and trees so as to naturally ward off
disease.

In the coming year, they expect to see their efforts of planting more than half of the space come to fruition.
The management of the TTEG is ongoing. So far they have planted an orchard of trees (mentioned previous-
ly), using organic principles and methods such as growing the appropriate plants to create compost in place.
They are continually working on propagation and are sharing cuttings, plants and seeds with those who en-
gage in the garden space.

120 FY21 Wellness Promotion Policy (WPP) Annual Report