Saint Louis University’s garden was established in 2002 to address the disconnect between the food people eat and their knowledge of where it originated. It has been fulfilling its mission to improve access to healthy, local foods by providing nutrition and garden education to the St. Louis community ever since.
SLU’s dietetic interns decide what is planted in the garden during their academic
rotation. Additionally, the accessible garden bed serves as an education tool for
special needs teachers and occupational and physical therapy students at Doisy College
of Health Sciences.
In the summer months, the garden is home to a culinary camp where children learn about
planting, harvesting and preparing food from the garden. Nutrition and dietetic students
run the camp with help from occupational and physical therapy students, who aid any
campers with disabilities.
The garden and its programs provide a positive learning environment for SLU students
and the St. Louis community — so much so that it has been integrated into a nutrition
education curriculum for St. Louis city schools. SLU’s dietetic interns work closely
with educators to teach students about nutrition, gardening and physical activity.
Gardens also are planted at the participating schools through a Gardens to Tables
grant.