Farm Fresh Produce for you, straight from the School Garden

Children in the 3rd Oberstufe in Schönenbüel, here in Unteraegeri, get to select from a list of electives. One in particular that caught my eye and brings huge benefit to the community is the class “Ab in den Garten” (“Into the Garden”). Led by Marianne Schmidt, the students learn the essentials of gardening from planting and caring for vegetables to harvesting and preparing produce for sale. And the best part WE CAN SUPPORT THEM BY BUYING THEIR PRODUCE.

This class offers so much, not only the hands-on how to grow and take care of the products, but also how to market and sell them to the public. It's a full circle, and the children love it.

Every Friday, the students open their garden and create a market that is open to the public, giving them the chance to practise:

• customer service skills

• communication and teamwork

• handling money and responsibility

• presenting and selling what they have grown themselves

And honestly… the produce is fantastic. Fresh, seasonal, locally grown, and very reasonably priced. So mark your calendars and get ready to shop. Last week I bought so much fresh kale, and it only cost me 2 CHF.

Friday Vegetable Market

Opening hours: Every Friday from now til the end of school 10:30–11:30

Location: Across from the Ludothek in Unterägeri, Schönenbüel 16314 Unterägeri

Top Tip: Cash only

If you are nearby on a Friday morning, it is absolutely worth stopping by to support this initiative. You’ll not only pick up beautiful fruits and vegetables, but also help encourage these students as they gain confidence through real-life experience and community interaction.

A really lovely example of learning by doing.