The Raley’s Cos. has partnered with Captain Planet Foundation to deliver state-of-the-art learning gardens at six elementary schools.

School gardens are much more than soil and plants. They are also an outstanding and effective way to teach children about a variety of important topics, including nutrition and where their food comes from.

Each Captain Planet Foundation Project Learning Garden, an investment of $6,000, includes raised bed gardens, lesson kits, schoolyard garden supplies, a fully equipped mobile garden cooking cart and strategies for garden maintenance. The schools with an existing garden received a garden expansion package and a monetary donation for maintenance and upkeep.

Residents of Arizona, New Mexico, California and Nevada were invited to nominate their local school in the state to receive a Learning Garden. The school had to be located within a 10-mile distance of a Bashas’, Bashas’ Diné Market, Food City or Raley’s grocery store.

"We’re committed to educating the next generation about where their food comes from,” said Chelsea Carbahal, vice president of community impact for The Raley’s Cos. “Partnering with Captain Planet and watching students get excited about growing and eating fresh fruits and vegetables in their school gardens is incredibly rewarding. Programs like this are key to improving access to healthy food and building a deeper understanding of our food system from an early age.”

“The Learning Gardens provide invaluable lessons for students as they learn about how some of the foods they enjoy eating are grown, as well as getting the chance to taste fresh food they had a hand in cultivating,” said Leesa Carter-Jones, president and CEO of Captain Planet Foundation. “We are thrilled to team up with Bashas’ and Raley’s to give more students the chance to experience the joys of growing their own food.”