Haywood County School students may enjoy delicious, red tomatoes later this summer and next school year, thanks to the school garden at East Side Intermediate School.

The 1305 Chronic Disease Grant sponsored the garden and the Community Coalition for Change (C3) grant supplied the tomatoes. The Haywood County Health Department, UT Extension, and Coordinated School Health are in charge of thinking of activities for the citizens of Brownsville/Haywood County that will improve/decrease obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, and the tomato garden is one of those activities.

The school garden will share its yield with the cafeterias of Haywood County Schools in an effort to get students to eat more fruits and/or vegetables. Mrs. Joni Taylor’s fifth-grade class has taken on the garden as a project. They will “tend on” the garden throughout the summer. Project Managers for the class are Ava Adams and Jennifer Moses. An additional school employee will also oversee the project over the summer. It was fun watching them and the other students plant the garden.