Suffolk officials are offering high praise to the students and staff of the Shepherd’s Gate Academy in Brentwood for their new and bountiful Children’s Natural Garden.
“We are pleased that this community has come together so productively to help these youngsters and their families tend to the garden and taste its rewards, while all along learning the lessons of good nutrition and exercise that are essential to good health,” said Commissioner of Health Services Dr. James Tomarken. “As we pass the baton to the staff and families at Shepherd’s Gate Academy, we feel assured that the garden and the Healthy Living program will continue to achieve success, as it is in good hands.”
The Cornell Cooperative Extension contributed its expertise to the “Healthy Living: From the Ground to the Dinner Table” through parent-centered classes on preparation of nutritious meals and snacks. Funding for cooking implements, a shed, a greenhouse, garden supplies and child-sized garden tools were was provided by a grant from the New York State Department of Health.
The garden is one component of a multi-faceted program designed by the county’s Division of Preventive Medicine to provide youngsters with physical activity as well as information on growing, preparing and eating nutritious foods. The academy operates pre-school and kindergarten programs as well as a before-and-after-school program for grade-schoolers ages 5 to 12.
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