First Lady Haslam Hosts Tennessee Students to Begin Planting in the Kitchen and Cutting Garden

First Lady Crissy Haslam hosts students at the Tennessee Residence to begin planting in the newly constructed Kitchen and Cutting Garden

NASHVILLE – First Lady Crissy Haslam today hosted approximately 60 3rd grade students from Crieve Hall Elementary School in Nashville at the Tennessee Residence to begin planting in the newly constructed Kitchen and Cutting Garden.

Students joined Mrs. Haslam in the garden to read the September Read20 Book of the Month, Janet Steven’s Tops and Bottoms, a folktale about gardening and vegetables. Following the reading, students participated in 3 activity stations to kick off planting in the garden: a guided tour of the Tennessee Residence, a farm-to-table cooking lesson with Residence Chef Stephen Ward, and a garden station to plant the first vegetables in the new garden.“We broke ground on the Kitchen and Cutting garden in May, and it is exciting to begin planting fruits and vegetables to serve in the food we prepare at Tennessee’s home,” said Mrs. Haslam. “It is a special treat to kick off planting with Tennessee students.”

As chair of the Tennessee Executive Residence and Preservation Foundation, Mrs. Haslam has been helping to generate private funds for the landscape renovation project at the Tennessee Residence. Phase II of the project included the construction of the Kitchen and Cutting Garden, sponsored by Tennessee companies Nissan North America and Scripps Networks Interactive. As part of their sponsorship, Scripps Networks Interactive helped to develop a Tennessee Residence Garden Guide for children that includes information about the garden, healthy eating, Tennessee Agriculture, activities for the classroom, and instructions for gardening at home. Tours of the garden will be available to visitors by scheduling a tour on the Tennessee Residence website, www.tn.gov/residence.  

“Growing your own produce is a great way to learn about many things including healthy fruits and vegetables, science, problem-solving, sustainability and the environment,” said Mrs. Haslam. “The Kitchen and Cutting Garden is an asset to share Tennessee traditions in agriculture and home gardening with students and visitors from across the state and country.”

For more information about the Kitchen and Cutting Garden or the Read20 Family Book Club visit www.tn.gov/firstlady, www.facebook.com/CrissyHaslam, or follow @CrissyHaslam on Twitter.

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