TVUSD FroGs Newsletter - Fall 2026
The Friends of Gardens newsletter is here to keep you updated on what is happening in our school gardens at ACES and TVES.
Our first quarter of the school year is complete and fall is here! We are busy harvesting the last of our summer crops and making room for our cool season veggies: carrots, beets, greens, peas, and herbs.
Farm to Table Culinary Class:
Seventeen 4th-6th grade students at Tanque Verde Elementary participated in the first ever Farm to Table Culinary Class this past quarter! These student chefs got to prepare and eat foods grown in our own school garden. The seven week experience culminated in a Tasting Extravaganza for students' families so students could showcase their favorite recipes from the class.
Equipment and supplies were funded by grants from the Whole Kids Foundation and AZ Health + Nutrition Services, with additional support from Tax Credit Donations. We look forward to having a new cohort of students each quarter this year!
Families enjoy the tasting event.
Students learn about botany and nutrition before harvesting crops.
Learning and Leadership at ACES:
A new group of Garden Ambassadors is ready to take on projects this school year! These Agua Caliente 3rd graders will work to promote the garden in our school community, teach lessons with younger students, and help with maintenance and improvement projects. The Garden Ambassador program is the bridge between our K-2 science programming and our 4-6 culinary classes. One project this year will be an expansion of our garden area to include more trees and outdoor seating!
Picking rainbow colored popcorn!
The Garden Ambassadors
Both the TVES and ACES gardens are part of our Garden Science and Outdoor Learning Program for elementary students in TVUSD. The goal of this program is to promote science learning, healthy lifestyles, leadership, and career pathways through hands on exploration in an outdoor setting.
Help us keep the learning going by making a donation!
TVES Garden Donation ACES Garden Donation
For information about volunteering in our gardens, please contact dgoepfrich@tanq.org.
THANK YOU for your continued support! 🌻
Deb Goepfrich
Garden Science / Outdoor Learning Coordinator
Tanque Verde School District
"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."
