Students get hands-on gardening experience at Fresno's Kepler Neighborhood School

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Students in Fresno are getting hands on experience in learning where their food comes from.

In the heart of downtown Fresno, amid all the concrete, an urban garden brings excitement to kids at the Kepler Neighborhood School.

Garden teacher Denise Feil established the garden two years ago.

"Green space is limited and I don't know, this is just a small outdoor classroom space where things can grow and thrive," explained Feil.

"The school saw value in it so it's turned into a science program here at Kepler."

All produce-related nicknames for school principal Tavian Figueroa, who wants the students to be well-rounded..

"They will call me Fig sometimes. I'll say at least call me Mr Fig. It's been Mr. Figgy," said Figueroa.

"They enjoy the hands on learning. They get in the dirt. They pull weeds, they garden, they tend. They actually create things. They had made foods from the garden."

"So we have carrots, we have kale, spinach, potatoes, lettuce, snap peas , chives there," added Feil.

USDA funding through the non-profit Every Neighborhood Partnership helped get the garden going - and there are plans to expand.

"We have funded hundreds of farm to school grants over the years and I understand there's one active right now here in Fresno, in the Fresno Unified School District that's focusing on agricultural education," said USDA Deputy Under Secretary Cindy Long.

This year's USDA grant was worth $98,000.

"They love coming out here. I think it's just a different environment right , than they're used to," Feil said.

"When kids have an opportunity to learn where food comes from, that it's not just the grocery store, and to participate in the process, they get more excited about eating a range of healthy, tasty food."

Feil says kids ask her every day in the hallway, 'is this garden day?'

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