The Cobb Preschool Garden to Table initiative is rooted in research which shows that only 40% of children ages 1-18 meet the USDA recommendations for fruit intake; only 7% meet vegetable recommendations.[1] Cobb Preschool is located in Roseburg, a rural community located in Douglas County, Oregon with a mission of providing equitable access to […]

 

The Cobb Preschool Garden to Table initiative is rooted in research which shows that only 40% of children ages 1-18 meet the USDA recommendations for fruit intake; only 7% meet vegetable recommendations.[1] Cobb Preschool is located in Roseburg, a rural community located in Douglas County, Oregon with a mission of providing equitable access to high-quality care and early education.  More than twenty percent of the children served are at or below poverty level and we know it is likely many more of our students live in food-insecure households.  The Garden to Table initiative was created to improve the health and well-being of the children within our community and to encourage healthy relationships with food from an early age.

The Garden To Table initiative was developed to:

  • Incorporate gardening as a norm for science, collaboration, developmental milestones and food;
  • Increase consumption of vegetables and fruits, to improve nutrition and health outcomes;
  • Improve knowledge and excitement about agriculture, gardening, food, nutrition and the environment;
  • Support economic development by increasing opportunities for local farmers, ranchers, food processors and food manufacturers to connect directly to students; and
  • Encourage environmental stewardship.

 

[1] Ridberg, R. A., Bell, J. F., Merritt, K. E., Harris, D. M., Young, H. M., & Tancredi, D. J. (2019). Effect of a Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program on Children’s Fruit and Vegetable Consumption. Preventing Chronic Disease16, E73. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd16.180555