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Rick Sherman

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Nov 17, 2025, 11:15:50 AM (11 days ago) Nov 17

to School Garden Support Organization Network

Tools Are Not Toys: Creating the First Student Designed School Garden Tool and Branding

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.

You can listen to the episode here: Tools Are Not Toys: Crating the First Student Designed School Garden Tool and Branding

Available on approximately 30 platforms. Simply search for “Farm to School Podcast.”

Show notes and much more will be available soon on our hosting site: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/podcast/farm-school-podcast