Wee Greens: Turning Classrooms Into Living Learning Labs

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when kindergarten students get to grow, observe, harvest, and taste their own food?In this episode of the Harvesting Wisdom Podcast, Mike McMahon sits down with Deb Martinez, an educator and clinical assistant professor at Arizona State University, to talk about the power of garden-based learning in early childhood education.Deb shares how her lifelong connection to gardening, her years in preschool and kindergarten classrooms, and her work with future teachers helped shape her contribution to Urban Farming Education’s Wee Greens curriculum. Designed especially for young learners, Wee Greens uses microgreens, recycled containers, hands-on activities, art, science, literacy, math, and family engagement to make learning more meaningful.The conversation explores why hands-on learning matters more than ever, how gardens can help students build curiosity and confidence, and how something as simple as planting microgreens can support critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and real-world learning.In This Episode:✅ How Deb’s childhood garden shaped her love for growing food✅ Why kindergarten students need hands-on, play-based learning✅ How microgreens make gardening simple for classrooms✅ The connection between gardens, science, art, literacy, and math✅ Why students become more engaged when learning moves outside the textbook✅ How Wee Greens helps teachers bring garden-based lessons into the classroom✅ The role of family harvest days and food conversations at home✅ Why school gardens can support curiosity, confidence, and community✅ How UFE is building scalable garden-based curriculum for schoolsWhy ListenListen if you care about education, school gardens, or helping kids learn through real-world experiences. This episode shows how something as simple as growing microgreens can help young students build curiosity, confidence, critical thinking, and a stronger connection to food, nature, and community.Whether you are an educator, parent, school leader, gardener, or someone who cares about the future of learning, this conversation offers a beautiful look at how small seeds can grow into big lessons.Subscribe to the Harvesting Wisdom Podcast for more conversations on education, sustainability, gardening, regenerative living, and the wisdom we can grow together.00:00 Welcome to Harvesting Wisdom01:00 Deb Martinez’s background in gardening and education03:30 From preschool and kindergarten to ASU06:00 How Wee Greens became part of UFE’s curriculum08:30 Why hands-on science matters in classrooms11:00 The challenge of keeping students engaged today14:00 Using gardens to spark curiosity and focus17:00 Critical thinking, collaboration, and communication20:00 How microgreens work in kindergarten classrooms23:00 Recycled K-cups, egg cartons, and simple growing systems26:00 The eight-day microgreens curriculum29:00 Harvest day and family engagement32:00 Garden-based learning across grade levels36:00 Building curriculum that can scale worldwide40:00 Why kindergarten deserves its own garden curriculum42:00 Final thoughts and closing