VALLEY CITY, N.D. (ON THE MOVE) – In celebration of Earth Day, all kindergarten – Grade 6 students in Barnes County received Grab n’ Grow seed planting kits assembled by ON THE MOVE partners and community volunteers. Approximately 839 students from Valley City Public Schools, St. Catherine School, Litchville-Marion Elementary School and Barnes County North received the kits. Students enrolled at Head Start in Valley City also received the gardening kits.

“Gardening is a great way for children to learn new skills and to learn about nutrition and where their food comes from,” states Andrea Winter, licensed registered dietitian at ON THE MOVE, “There are so many benefits to gardening…kids love to dig in the dirt, plant seeds and water them and taking care of their plants encourages responsibility and self-confidence and the best part is getting to eat what they grow!”

The seeds and soil for the kits were purchased from a local greenhouse in Valley City. Once the kits were assembled, they were given to the students to take home on Earth Day. The kits included pumpkin, cucumber, bean and zinnia seeds.

“By providing gardening kits for local students, we hope to encourage students to eat more fruits and vegetables each day which promotes healthy eating habits as they grow up”, states Sharon Buhr, licensed registered dietitian and chair of the ON THE MOVE Partnership, “it is also a great opportunity for students and parents to enjoy some time together.”

The project was funded by a federal grant awarded to City County Health District. One aspect of the grant focuses on providing opportunities for students to increase healthy eating by focusing on growing, preparing and eating more fruits and vegetables.

The feature photo: Zach Wilmes, a kindergarten student at Jefferson Elementary School, is excited to watch his seeds grow.