Under a blue sky, a team of parents, staff and student volunteers gathered to build a teaching garden at Northpoint School in Northridge, CA — and the delightful day was captured on video.


The effort, sponsored by Dole Foods in collaboration with the American Heart Association, is designed to combat childhood obesity with a hands-on understanding of where produce comes from and its value as part of a healthy diet. Dole has long supported childhood nutrition education through a cornucopia of materials — ranging from Kids’ Cookbooks to Kids’ Garden Kits to Counting Books to music. When asked to donate a garden to a local school, we rolled up our sleeves and got planting. Click here to watch the fun. 


We love school gardens — and family backyard gardens — because kids are more likely to try fruit and veggies they themselves have helped to grow. Higher produce consumption can help curb childhood obesity, as kids fill up on fiber-rich fruit and veggies that also provide the nutrition that can help bluntdeficiency-fueled cravings. In addition to gardening with kids, cooking together is a great way to empower young chefs to experiment with healthy ingredients. Watch our video with celebrity kid chef Aurora Blue, making an Enchanted Broccoli Forest.