From left, Peggy Papert, “Farmer” Kim Aman and Sarah and Lee Papert helped launch the Dallas Farmers Market Teaching Garden last weekend. The garden is named after Peggy and Lee’s mother, “Mama” Ida Papert, a longtime Dallas Farmers Market supporter. Photos by Ashley Tobar.

Oct. 9, 2015    

The first seeds will be planted at the Dallas Farmers Market's new Teaching Garden on Saturday with the goal of growing an appreciation for a healthier lifestyle in local youth. 

The garden, a partnership with the American Heart Association and a variety of Dallas community entities, consists of 10 raised beds and an expansion plan for a small plot of row crops, located just east of The Shed, near the stage. 

“Farmer" Kim Aman, an eco-educator from WFAA-TV, Moss Haven Elementary resource teacher and Dallas Farmers Market Friends board member, will cultivate the Teaching Garden program.

“The Dallas Farmers Market has long been interested in pulling together community partners to develop a teaching garden that could be used to foster learning, environmental awareness and nutrition for people of all ages,” Aman said. “They decided to partner with the American Heart Association who builds Teaching Gardens at schools all over the country.”

Volunteers lay down cardboard which will be covered with sand and mulch.

Dubbed Mama Ida’s Teaching Garden, it is the first AHA garden to be located at a farmers market.

“It was also the perfect opportunity to honor “Mama’ Ida Papert, who was an avid supporter of the Dallas Farmers Market and founder of the Dallas Farmers Market Friends, a volunteer organization focused on enhancing the market experience by preserving its history and advocacy for farmers.”

The garden will consist of a variety of cool season crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, greens, swiss chard, carrots, herbs and seasonal flowers and will be maintained year-round by student and adult volunteers. The garden is also a North Texas Food Bank partner garden for participants seeking volunteer opportunities, with the Dallas Farmers Market Friends managing it.

“Field trips and families that visit the market will be able to utilize the garden too,” Aman added. “We hope to educate families and kids about the importance of eating healthy, growing their own food and shopping locally at the Dallas Farmers Market. Also, each harvest will help feed Dallas’ homeless through produce donations to Family Gateway.”

As a teaching garden, folks will learn about gardening as a “hands-on tool to teach people of all ages how to plant and grow vegetables,” Aman said. 

Through an integrated curriculum, children will learn garden-themed lessons, nutrition, health, science, technology, engineering, math and what it means to eat seasonally. 

“The goal is to educate verses just grow food,” Aman explained. “We hope to change the health outcomes of the children in Dallas. Currently, kids from all walks of life are eating poorly and we hope through a teaching garden that they can learn the benefits of eating whole foods that come from the ground versus a package or drive through.”

Volunteers will plant seeds for produce, herbs and flowers on Saturday, as well as add mulch for the pathways. The garden will be completely finished by Oct. 14, when it will be showcased at the Dallas Farmers Market Friends 20th Annual Hoedown.

“Teaching gardens build connections,” Aman said. “They connect kids to the earth, their food, each other and help to make their curriculum come alive by connecting it to hands on, real world learning.”

Volunteers assembled raised beds at the garden last Saturday.

Aman believes that kids who grow healthy food, will eat healthy food and she has recently developed a first-of-its-kind AHA curriculum that teaches garden-themed lessons, nutrition, math and science.

“It is difficult to change the behaviors of adults, but kids can change easily,” she said. “If you celebrate healthy food and make it available to kids, they will be more likely to ask for carrots instead of chips. The goal is to grow healthy kids and show them how to lead healthy lives and change the outcome of the number of adults who are obese.”

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