The largest, and newest, vegetable garden in School District U-46 is located on the grounds of the Food & Nutrition Services department on Bowes Road in Elgin. The nearly 1-acre plot was planted in June 2019 by Food & Nutrition Services staff, and they were joined in harvesting cucumbers, peppers, basil, zucchini, carrots, tomatoes and more with the help of volunteers. Much of the produce ended up on vegetable and salad bars in U-46 schools. The garden hosted several field trips in 2019 and is expected to host more in 2020.

Several other schools have vegetable gardens. Streamwood High School has “square-foot” gardens that were tended by chemistry students in 2019. The student nature club at Clinton Elementary School in South Elgin supports that building’s vegetable garden. The garden at Horizon Elementary in Hanover Park is planted each year with everything from potatoes to tomatoes, kale to carrots, and it even has its own Facebook page!  The gardening club group at Ronald D. O’Neal works on a community garden on Channing Street in Elgin. Several other schools, including Liberty Elementary School in Bartlett and Fox Meadow Elementary in South Elgin, are looking to revive garden areas planted years ago.