UCCE Partnership maintains important School Garden work in times of transition

In Placer County, the CalFresh Healthy Living (CFHL) Program has worked with schools to provide K-8 students with experiential nutrition education in school gardens for years. This work represents the CFHL mission of enacting Policy, Systems and Environmental (PSE) changes that support healthy behaviors and lifestyles in the school setting. Currently, the program provides education and support for 12 preschool and elementary school gardens in Placer County, reaching 1,440 students. 

With the termination of federal funding for the program due to budget cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, school garden programs across the country will no longer have nutrition educators to provide support. The CFHL program in Placer County wanted to ensure that students continue to benefit from this work. 

Fortunately, a partnership with the UC Master Gardeners of Placer County volunteers has provided an opportunity to maintain some aspects of school garden programming. CFHL educator Lauren Valentino created a detailed guide to all 12 schools and preschools currently supported. The guide includes examples of opportunities for UC Master Gardener volunteers to step in. Consistent meetings between the CFHL team and UC Master Gardeners of Placer County’s School & Community Garden Committee have allowed information and knowledge to be shared through the transition. 

Several volunteers of this committee already serve as liaisons with the schools, and this transition will benefit from these existing community connections. The CFHL team is working diligently to shift responsibilities for garden maintenance and education to a team of school administration, parent volunteers, and these UC Master Gardener volunteers.  

At the newest garden site, Auburn Elementary School, Lauren and program supervisor Deborah Weeks have arranged co-facilitation of six TK-8th grade lessons with UC Master Gardener volunteers through the end of the 2026 school year to ensure continuity of programming and adequate time to train the volunteers to current operations at the site. On February 9^th, UC Master Gardener volunteers were introduced to the site during a garden planting workday arranged by the CFHL team. Future workdays at this site and other gardens are being arranged as spring begins in Placer County. 

After the CFHL program sunsets in summer of 2026, Community Nutrition and Health (CNH) Advisor Kitty Oppliger and the UC Master Gardener Coordinator for Placer & Nevada Counties, Cassie Burzinski, will guide the work of UC Master Gardener volunteers in these communities.  

The UC Master Gardeners of Placer County volunteers will bridge the gap left by the closure of the CFHL program, sustaining long-term community relationships with these school sites. Support from UCCE staff will guide and inform the work so that it aligns with UCCE policies and the mission to serve all Californians. This collaboration between UCCE programs will ensure that 730 students will continue to receive regularly scheduled garden-based education at Auburn Elementary, George Cirby Elementary, and First Street Elementary after the CFHL closure. Under the guidance of UC employees Kitty Oppliger and Cassie Burzinski, the collaboration could continue to grow into other schools with gaps in garden education. 

As the UC Master Gardener volunteers within the School & Community Garden Committee step in, their role will differ from that of CFHL educators. However, their involvement provides school gardens access to a wealth of resources and knowledge within the UC Master Gardener program. They will ensure gardens can be maintained to a high standard, provide research-backed gardening education, and increase opportunities for students to engage in outdoor learning. While independently delivering nutrition education is not part of the UC Master Gardener volunteer role, the recently developed School and Community Edible Garden Support Toolkit and support of the local Community Nutrition and Health Advisor will allow the volunteers to distribute garden-related nutrition information and partner locally for broader educational impact.