Alice Waters' 'Edible Schoolyard' Comes to Local Charter School

Legendary Bay Area restaurateur, chef, cookbook author, and educational garden advocate Alice Waters is in town today to take part in the launch of the first Los Angeles branch of her Chez Panisse Foundation's Edible Schoolyard.

The garden at Larchmont Charter School in West Hollywood, has already been teaching the current K-2 students about food and science, as described in the Larchmont Chronicle:

Children keep a garden journal and grow their own vegetables from seeds they plant. There are raised beds for every classroom, and a variety of gardens including native, five senses and butterfly.

Larchmont's garden is one of just 4 in the nation with an affiliation to the Waters program. Much like other educational garden programs at schools all over Los Angeles and the country, the Edible Schoolyard "integrates the concepts of ecology into the curriculum while infusing the curriculum with real-life applications through gardening, cooking, science experiences, and a healthy, seasonal, locally-grown lunch," notes the school's website. As part of this program "students awaken their senses, learn about nutrition, help to build a community, and begin to take personal responsibility for the earth."