Bonner Springs Kids Community Garden

The Bonner Springs Kids Community Garden is a no fee program to teach kids how to grow organic non-gmo foods in a co-op enviroment. We are run by donations so any help is welcomed! It's for the KIDS!

Gardening engages children in a number of ways that include designing, planning, maintaining and harvesting. They also learn how to cooperate in groups, share food, understand nature and write about their gardening activities. Surveys found that a majority of adult gardeners had positive memories of playing and exploring in gardens as children. They formed long-lasting and positive relationships with gardens and plant life. There are huge mind-body-spiritual connections that result from children who garden. Research conducted in 2005 by Robinson and Zajicek found that fifth grade students who participated in a year-long gardening program showed a higher level of self-understanding and a better ability to work in groups. Studies by Hung in 2004 showed that children who had interned at community gardens had an increased level of responsibility, maturity and interpersonal skills. It was also shown in a 1995 study by Alexander, North and Hendren that second and third grade children who worked in community gardens had positive experiences bonding with their parents.In addition to these social and developmental improvements, studies also showed that garden programs improve children’s nutrition. A number of studies show that participating in gardening programs encourages children to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables, and that, when given a choice, these children will often choose healthy foods over others. Gardening also improved their performance in science class, their environmental awareness and their understanding of nature’s interconnectedness.

Why You Should Go Organic

Organic gardening is different from traditional gardening in that it does not use chemical fertilizer or pesticides. It relies instead on animal and plant fertilizers, and natural forms of pest control. Organic basically means working with nature in selecting the right plants for the garden and ensuring that the soil is as healthy as possible in order to sustain long-term growth.

Actually, organic farming worked just fine for the entire human race from the Agricultural Revolution 10,000 years ago until the development of farming chemicals in the late 1800s. There has been a major increase in organic farming in the last 50 years as the dangers of these chemicals have become more widely known.

Here are a few of the reasons why organic is better:

- Organically grown food is higher in nutrients and vitamins, which means that it can reduce your risk of diseases such as cancer. It is also better for the health and development of children.

- Food that is grown organically tastes better because of the well-balanced soil that nourished it.

- Because it uses no chemicals, organic gardening means less toxins put into the body. Studies have shown that pesticides appear 6 times more abundantly in the blood of children who eat inorganic food.

- Organic gardening is kinder to the environment. There is no runoff of chemicals into the groundwater.

- Organic is better for the soil. One of the main principles of gardening organically is to build healthy soil which will produce nutrient-rich foods for the long-term through composting.

- It promotes biodiversity, which is essential for any ecosystem. Organic gardeners use a wide variety of different seeds, rotate crops and carry out other practices that ensure this diversity.

One more benefit is that it helps out rural communities and small farms. According to the Organic Trade Association, in 1997 about half of the country’s farm production came from only 2% of the nation’s farms. Organic gardening helps you take a bite out of corporate agribusiness