WASHBURN, Wis. - In Washburn the green thumbs start early!  Grade-schoolers and middle schoolers are working together on one amazing garden.  The project instills a love and appreciation of growing and gardening at a young age.

Every spring students in Washburn kindergarten through eighth grade, plant everything from basil to potatoes.  They provide more than half the vegetables year round for all 539 students in the Washburn school district.

“This is the beans right? You go like this.  Isn't it like every two inches?”  Fourth grader Gunnar Gregoire said his hard work pays off.  “Because it's home made it's better than store bought.”

Superintendent Sue Masterson said the idea is to teach students about the importance of the plant cycle.  “What better thing to do than have a garden to teach that with?”

Thursday, 16 Washburn elementary fourth graders worked in the garden and they agree, fresh is better than canned.  “Hi little plants how you doing?”  “Mmm spinach is so good.  It's so so so good.”  “This is so much better than the school, it's better than the stores.”

Masterson said it's all about the kids.  “Kids need to learn that they don't go to the grocery store and get peas in a plastic bag, that's not where they come from, they come from the earth.”

Planting their own food also teaches them important lessons about teamwork and responsibility.

“It helps you work together and you feel better once you get inside.  You get to work with your friends.”

They started this garden 3 years ago, last week they doubled it in size and their ultimate goal is to grow enough vegetables to feed the entire school district year round.  It's a great way for kids to learn out in the sunshine, with a true hands on experience, planting seeds that will last a lifetime.