Lancaster, PA (April 18, 2013) – “Lighten Up Lancaster County (LULC) and LiveWELL Lancaster County announce the first School/Community Gardens Forum to be held in Lancaster County. This first-of-its-kind event is open to Lancaster County schools, businesses, and community members interested in gardening.  Two sessions will be held- 101 Gardening for Beginners and 201 Advanced Gardeners. The sessions will cover topics such as garden site design, what to grow, funding options, curriculum integration, and staff buy-in. The forum is being held from 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., on April 22 at Wheatland Middle School, located at 919 Hamilton Park Drive, Lancaster. Attendees also have the option of attending a tour of the Wheatland Middle School Garden, led by Principal Jay Butterfield, at 4:30pm.

According to the PA Department of Health, 64% of Lancaster County adults and 32% of students (K-12) are overweight or obese. Research has shown that, as weight increases to levels referred to as ‘overweight’ and ‘obesity,’ the risk for serious health conditions also increases. In order to combat this increasing local and national health concern, garden-based nutrition intervention programs can be utilized to promote increased fruit and vegetable consumption among youth.  ‘Children who grow and take ownership of their vegetable garden at school are more willing to try new vegetables and fully integrate them into their daily eating behaviors,’ shares Alyssa Densham, Farm to School Program Coordinator with The Food Trust and keynote speaker for the Forum.

“‘Faculty members, teachers, and students should engage with school gardens because they can teach and reinforce responsibility, leadership, group cohesion/team building, environmental awareness and concern, science processes, problem-solving skills, confidence, and self-esteem,’ says Densham.

For more information on the School/Community Garden Forum, contact Courtney Gregor at 544-3802 or cgregor2@lghealth.org. School/Community Gardens Forum is made possible with funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Lancaster General Health.

SOURCE: News release, Lighten Up Lancaster