Research shows that a nutritious diet helps children learn better, and that kids are more likely to try and enjoy fresh vegetables and fruits if they helped grow them. School garden programs provide a unique opportunity for students to grow fresh vegetables, eat healthy food, and share their harvest with the rest of their school district by donating or selling it to the school cafeteria. To assure the food safety of the vegetables harvested from school gardens by students, schools should implement food safety protocols for their school garden activities.

This publication contains sample protocols for schools to use as they design best practices for their school gardens. These protocols are adapted from federal and state guidelines for Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP).