What happens when youth look at the school garden and only see cheap pink plastic shovels, flimsy tools, and vegetable characters that don’t represent their world? In this episode of the Farm to School Podcast, Rick and Michelle dig into how stereotypes have shaped kids’ experiences in the school garden and how a new generation of youth-driven design is flipping the script. From rethinking tools on how Michelle dedicated a good ten years of her life to create the “Rootopia” characters, over 44 fruits and veggies that reflect real emotions, cultural awareness, and botanical accuracy, we explore how gardens can become places of belonging, creativity, and social-emotional growth.

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