Leeds Elementary School harvests crops from school garden

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Thursday's weather conditions were perfect for students over at Leeds Elementary School.

The kids celebrated the rewards of having another successful school garden with a harvest party. Everything from tomatoes to cucumbers and even onions and potatoes came from this year's garden plot. Students were able to sample what totaled more than 685 pounds of produce, even tasting some of their favorites.

The idea behind the program was not only to give kids a valuable skill they could use in the future, but also to connect their work outside with subjects taught in school each day.

"One of my favorite things to do, it's a lot of work, but it's one of my favorite things to do because kids don't do this at home very often," third grade teacher Elizabeth Walz said. "They don't play in dirt as much as they used to and garden at home, so they're learning something new."

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Every student has their own favorites from the garden. Picking tomatoes was a highlight for one girl KCAU 9 talked with, who also said she just looks forward to getting some fresh air.

"My favorite is hanging out with the teachers, and we get to do after-school stuff and it's really fun for me," third grader Maleyah Williams said.

Leeds Elementary also plans to pack up all the vegetables and donate them. They will also make jalapeno and raspberry jams that will be available to the public.