Maida Dantzler, President of the Garden Club of South Carolina, Inc., has chosen Good to Grow as a statewide project during her administration. The Good to Grow program teaches school-age children, their parents, and communities not only how to grow their own food, but how to make healthy food choices. The idea for this project came about for many reasons. Most importantly, it involves our youth. Childhood obesity is at an all time high and is affecting not only the health of our children, but their ability to learn. One way we can take a positive step towards controlling this issue is through education. By volunteering our talents in the school system via gardening, we can teach families how to grow food that is nutritionally valuable, while having fun and reinforcing school curriculums in reading, science, and math. As we impress the children of South Carolina to learn more about the food that fuels their bodies, they’ll be better equipped to make smarter food choices. When youth are involved in growing fresh fruits and vegetables, they’ll have the opportunity to taste something they might otherwise have refused or never have been offered! In turn, it is our hope that the children will inspire their families to garden at home too. The economic downturn has already stimulated interest in home vegetable gardens and interest and educational programming is at an all-time high in many schools across the nation. Maida Dantzler would like to challenge each garden club in South Carolina, to initiate or mentor an established school or community garden in their area. Children love to plant seeds and love to see them grow. They also love the extra attention we as gardeners give to them. Our Good to Grow program could be part of a youth garden club or a new activity for your club. Rebecca Bull Reed, Associate Gardening Editor for Southern Living magazine is assisting me with this project. Please use this site as a guide to answer questions or to stay on track as you and your club organize this potentially life-changing venture for South Carolina families. To good health and much fun! Donna Hummelman Good to Grow Chairman hummersct@yahoo.com Tumblr (3.0; @goodtogrow)http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/ Wednesday October 31 is Halloween. This time of year, pumpkins rule - but don’t forget those...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/34481512139http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/34481512139Sun, 28 Oct 2012 08:41:33 -0400 If you started your veggie gardens just after Labor Day, you should be harvesting now. Radishes...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/33913603773http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/33913603773Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:21:41 -0400 Fall is now officially here and boy are we glad! By now, your veggie beds and containers should be...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/32117871870http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/32117871870Sun, 23 Sep 2012 08:31:48 -0400 If you’re like me, you awoke this morning to significantly cooler weather compared to...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/31193458589http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/31193458589Sun, 09 Sep 2012 08:32:00 -0400 Whether you’re new to gardening or an old pro, there’s a benefit to keeping a garden...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/30234079565http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/30234079565Sun, 26 Aug 2012 05:51:26 -0400garden journaling Welcome back Good to Growers. If you are starting your Good to Grow program for the first time...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/27623259052http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/27623259052Fri, 20 Jul 2012 08:24:11 -0400Hi All, Donna and I have had a great time telling each of you about the Good to Grow Program over...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/20066704675http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/20066704675Wed, 28 Mar 2012 12:49:57 -0400The days may be warming, but March can be so tricky. Just to be safe, it is not wise to set out...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/19111830419http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/19111830419Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:00:06 -0400Gardening has its own language and if you’re a beginner, it can sometimes be intimidating. ...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/18720675010http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/18720675010Sun, 04 Mar 2012 06:00:05 -0500March is known for its unpredictable weather, but if you start seeds indoors, they’ll be...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/18309278646http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/18309278646Sun, 26 Feb 2012 06:00:06 -0500Ebinport Elementary in Rock Hill, SC sends in this update. Please share your growing experiences so...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/17913704271http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/17913704271Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:13:00 -0500 Last week we posted the cover of the new Burpee Seed Catalog, but wanted to tell you in this...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/16287267091http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/16287267091Sun, 22 Jan 2012 09:08:11 -0500 Happy New Year Good to Growers! Now that we’ve all settled back into the school year, its...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/15567986264http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/15567986264Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:27:57 -0500 Seeing how this will be the last post for 2011, Donna and I are so very proud of each of you who...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/14232699413http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/14232699413Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:42:03 -0500Here’s hoping that each of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you may have enjoyed some...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/13508770217http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/13508770217Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:51:44 -0500 Members of Town and Country Garden Club, of Rock Hill, SC are participating in the Garden Club of...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/11222300051http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/11222300051Sun, 09 Oct 2011 07:01:05 -0400 Nan Breon of the Ivy League Garden Club of Spartanburg reports that Good to Grow is a...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/10983501966http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/10983501966Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:05:04 -0400The last thing any gardener wants to find in their veggie patch is a bug, but did you know that all...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/10449268344http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/10449268344Tue, 20 Sep 2011 15:14:00 -0400 Take a poll - “Who wants to plant something stinky?” I bet a lot of hands go up. Now...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/9877106757http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/9877106757Tue, 06 Sep 2011 10:05:05 -0400 All schools are officially back in session and hopefully your garden club has either selected a...http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/9841288812http://goodtogrow.tumblr.com/post/9841288812Mon, 05 Sep 2011 14:07:54 -0400