Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi Volunteers Do ‘Dirty Work’ At Elementary Garden

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Volunteers with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi spent part of their day getting their hands dirty at a Tupelo Elementary School.

It’s a hands on lesson for these second graders at Joyner Elementary as they plant beans and squash, at the “Discovery Garden” with help from workers at the Blue Springs Toyota plant and Mississippi Young Professionals.

“Partnerships make our community such a stronger community,” said Donna Loden, of “Growing Healthy Waves.”

This workday is organized by “Growing Healthy Waves,”  a farm to cafeteria initiative in conjunction with Food Corps.   It  teaches young people the importance of eating fresh, nutrient rich foods.

Produce from this garden will find its way to the cafeteria as part of healthy lunches.

“We want our children to be able to see it is these very things they are growing and participating in and have a hand in they will also see in our cafeteria,” said Joyner Principal Kimberly Foster.

The Discovery Garden takes what students have learned in the classroom, about health, nurtition and agriculture, and shows them how to apply it in real life.

“We also do lessons in the classroom, with them, on cooking nutrition, to have them grow the food and have these lessons in the classroom and tie it into cafeteria as well it is setting them up for success in the future really,” said Sara Murphy, of Food Corps.

Students had fun planting the seeds, and most like the vegetables.

The Discovery Garden was initially funded through a grant from the Association for Excellence in Education.  ‘Jimmy Johns” provided lunch for the volunteers.

That Discovery Garden will also be a part of the “Joyner Neighborhood Garden Tour” coming up in June.