4-H Garden Project Builds Positive Life Skills in Youth

A vegetable garden project is an excellent way to develop life skills including decision making, record keeping, enhanced self-esteem, and good work ethic in youth. It also promotes a healthy lifestyle by developing an enjoyment in gardening and consumption of fresh vegetables. The objectives of this project are to teach youth: basic horticulture skills to implement a garden plan; how to make educated decisions in the care of their gardens based on knowledge gain; utilization of grown vegetables as part of a healthy nutrition plan; and to encourage a sense of citizenship through donations of vegetables to those in need. Over the last two years summative evaluations of 148 youth participants were collected from garden judging, vegetable exhibits, and record book scores. Results found: 98% completed the project; 75% received a blue ribbon score of 90% or higher on their record book; 100% prepared at least one recipe from the vegetables grown, and a follow-up survey of ten youth indicated 100% knowledge gain and reported developing record keeping, time management, decision making, and problem solving skills and enhanced self esteem.