After planting seeds in September, McKinney Academy students saw the payoff for their hard work. After a month of waiting patiently, they harvested 25 bags of leaf lettuce and 15 bags of rainbow Swiss chard. The students put the veggies into bags to take home, along with recipes for cooking them. “Part of our goal is to get the kids to try new, healthy food items,” McKinney parent Elizabeth Pietropaolo said.

The garden, in which kale, lettuces, beets, broccoli and other vegetables sprout this fall, is part of a school-wide healthy initiative led by McKinney Academy Wellness Director Nicole Magryta.