Students at Westside Elementary will soon grow their own fresh vegetables and herbs to take home to their families.

The school broke ground on its new community garden Friday. Westside Elementary was awarded a $4,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make it all happen.

Students started the garden by planting lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower and onions. Home Depot donated the initial plants, dirt and tools.  Eventually, the area located adjacent to the cafeteria will have several garden areas and a small shed to house tools and supplies.

The community garden was librarian Cassandra Taylor’s idea. She also wrote the grant to get the money needed for the plants and supplies. Taylor, who was previously a science teacher, wants students to know where their food comes from and be able to put their lessons into action.

"I asked some of our students where all the vegetables on their tray came from, and their overwhelming response was, ‘from the supermarket,'" said Taylor. "Nobody could tell me where it really came from. There was a disconnect between the food they ate and the plant cycle they were learning in class."

Westside Elementary plans to use the grant money to buy seeds to plant more vegetables and herbs. Once the garden begins to fully produce, students will be able pick the lettuce and vegetables to immediately eat in the cafeteria. They will also be able to take some of their crops home.

"I’m hoping [the students] will be able to influence their home life to have more fresh fruits and vegetables instead of just getting them at school," said Taylor. "They will be able to say, ‘We have that in our garden mom and it’s good!'"