Teaching Life Skills Through Gardening

The University of Florida IFAS Extension Master Gardener Program offers gardeners an opportunity to gain an intensive education in horticultural principles. Upon completion of the program, participants must then provide volunteer leadership and service to their community in a variety of gardening activities. Master Gardeners Bill and Sharon McIntosh of St. Johns County found the perfect outlet for their training, as volunteers helping to maintain the garden that serves as part of the St. Augustine Youth Services (SAYS) work program. SAYS, a residential program for boys ages 6 to 18, offers the on-campus work program for the young residents as a way to earn minimum wage as well as develop job-readiness skills.

Boys from SAYS helped install the garden and assist with all facets of growing, including weeding, pest control and harvesting. The garden is comprised of several beds and hydroponic towers,the latter of which were recently installed using a $1,500 donation from the University of Florida. Bok choy, purple tomatillos, broccoli and kale are in various stages of growth in the garden, clumped in tight bundles or overflowing from the beds. As the garden becomes more established, the McIntoshes hope to add a stand at the local farmers’ market, giving the young men from SAYS the chance to practice retail and customer service skills. In addition to the gardening oversight, the McIntoshes also provide fun examples for cooking and serving the plants, like cutting raw kohlrabi into “fries” and dipping them in salad dressing.

Evidence of gardening's benefits are clear, according to the McIntoshes. When the boys learn the names of plants, the garden becomes a familiar environment and that knowledge is a source of pride. The young participants engage in part of the intergenerational learning cycle that has been crucial to farming throughout history. While cultivating a garden is inherently challenging, it allows the boys a hands-on opportunity to learn how to grow their own food. The value of the McIntoshes’ presence in the garden to these young men is hard to overstate: healthy relationships with caring adults is a thing worth cultivating.

For more information ways to get involved with the UF/IFAS Master Gardener program, contact your local office.