Las Cruces children receive new school garden, learn to cook fresh produce

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- La Semilla Food Center built a brand new garden for the students at Monte Vista Elementary School in Las Cruces. The area on campus allows students to get their hands dirty planting, shoveling, and watering the plants.

Experts visited the school to teach the students how to build irrigation pods, pedal a bike soil blender, and cook with their produce. The garden includes herbs, flowers, trees, and fruit plants of all kinds.

This project is part of the center's Edible Education program, which connects classrooms to garden experiences.

The Paso del Norte Health Foundation

“La Semilla has worked with 40 schools in the Paso del Norte region to install gardens and train teachers to incorporate gardening and cooking into their classrooms.," said Jana Renner, the Senior Program Officer of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation. The foundation works to promote health and prevent disease in our region. Organizers often put together initiatives, programs, and policies to accomplish that goal.

Paso del Norte set up La Semilla as part of its Healthy Eating Initiative. That program's goal is to promote gardening, nutrition, and cooking skills to students, teachers, and families in El Paso and Doña Ana County.