Hi, I’m Jill. I’m glad you want to learn more about the Grateful Garden Project. Our purpose is to help kids enjoy gardening and healthy eating through hands-on activities and useful tips.

 

I first fell in love with gardening as a kid, watching my mom care for our vegetable gardens. Thanks to her, we always had fresh and preserved veggies to enjoy throughout the year.

 

Even when I worked in the corporate world, I always found a way to keep a small vegetable garden. It wasn’t perfect—sometimes it was weedy and a bit neglected—but it still gave us tasty veggies.

 

Switching from advertising to education was the right move for me. I worked in a pre-K classroom and as a substitute teacher while working toward my master’s degree. Although I had to pause my own studies, I kept working in the local school as a paraprofessional.

 

These days, I work at a local farm during the growing season and substitute teach during winter. The Grateful Garden Project lets me combine my love of teaching with my passion for gardening.

 

Thank you for being here!