Introduction

Green business ventures are budding in schools across the country as students use their gardening savvy to turn a profit. A garden-based school business can be as small as a one-time seedling sale on the school steps or as involved as a salsa business that supplies restaurants and grocery stores. (These boys are proudly displaying their mini worm composting kits.)

When students plan, launch, and maintain a business of any size, they develop skills and understanding relevant to a host of curriculum goals. Imagine how confidence and learning can flourish when youngsters design products; survey potential customers; tackle production and sales challenges; promote their products; and track expenses, revenues, and profits.

We hope the following classroom articles and Web sites will inspire entrepreneurial adventures.

Page 2 Basil Buy Us: Herb Enterprise Cultivates Capable Kids -
A bunch of basil in a bag for a buck was the slogan that launched this fifth grade hydroponic basil business. Today, the young entrepreneurs supply restaurants and stores with their fresh product.

Page 3 Peddling Plants: Learning Standards Bloom in Budding Business Fifth graders work through the steps of bringing an idea to market (creating and applying for positions, running departments, and so on)
via their student-run plant company.

Page 4 Strategies for a Growing Business, 101 - Features advice from the field on how to support students as they create and sustain a plant-
or garden-based business. The article covers pondering product ideas, understanding customers' needs, promoting products, creating a
business plan, and more.
Page 5 Nutritious Business Reaps Rewards (Kindergartners Cash In) - Primary students learn nutrition lessons and hone observation skills in their garden. They share their passions, produce, and more with the community via a weekly school farmers' market.

Page 6 Aromatic Entrepreneurs - A brief tale of how an herb growing project blossomed into a year-long, business that featured lessons in plant needs, hydroponics, economics, marketing, and cuisine.

Page 7 Plant Sale Grows Kids - A special needs class roots scads of cuttings, and advertises its wares, for a Mother's Day plant sale.

Page 8 Leftover Lessons: Worm Farmers Get Hooked - Sixth graders wiggle into business after discovering how to cultivate worms to recycle lunchroom waste.