School Gardens Program

boy holding plant Welcome to the school garden online food safety training. School gardens can be an important element of student learning about the food they eat. Food safety with fresh produce has been an increasing concern in recent years. This online training is meant to educate students and their instructors on safe food production handling. It covers the identification of biological, physical, and chemical hazards within the garden.

Find the videos by clicking on the "School Gardens Videos" on the menu to the left. Through these videos, you will learn different prevention strategies to reduce risks from occurring. Quizzes will be given at the end of each section of the video to test your knowledge on each area of produce food safety. Additional activities and case studies are provided on the website to assist with further identifying hazards associated with fresh produce. A resource manual is also available on the website to provide the leaders of school gardens with more in-depth information.

girls gardening Please note that instructors of school gardens should complete a full length, nationally-approved Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) Short course training. Instructors should be fully knowledgeable about how to minimize food safety risks within the garden.