Jarred Shaw has a passion for two things—gardening and his students—and he’s found a way to beautifully blend the two. When we featured his work at River City Science Academy in 2023 (River City Science Academy ~ Florida – Welcome to Katie’s Krops!), we shared how he brought their school garden to life with support from Katie’s Krops and other generous organizations.

Now, Jarred has taken on a new role closer to home at Landrum Middle School in Ponte Vedra, Florida, where he works as a literacy coach. Although the garden at Landrum was already thriving when he arrived, Jarred didn’t miss a beat. From his office window, he now enjoys watching the garden in action—cared for primarily by students in the special education program who plant, weed, harvest, and maintain nine raised beds brimming with kale, tomatoes, onions, cabbage, squash, peppers, collards, snap peas, beans, okra, strawberries, and a wide variety of herbs like thyme, parsley, and oregano.

Even more exciting, the school is expanding its orchard, which already includes two mature avocado trees. Soon, students hope to be harvesting cherries, bananas, limes, lemons, papaya, raspberries, mangoes, and grapefruit.

The garden is more than just a growing space—it’s an outdoor classroom. The students, who have various intellectual and developmental disabilities, are guided by dedicated paraprofessionals and teachers who weave gardening into science and math lessons. The work gets them moving, engaged, and learning in meaningful ways.

Each week, members of the school’s Best Buddies chapter (part of Best Buddies International) join in. Every Wednesday, they share lunch, play games, and garden alongside the students. Their commitment was recently recognized with a visit from the national Best Buddies team, who brought lunch from Chick-fil-A and fun activities to celebrate the program.

The impact of the garden extends beyond the special education program. STEM students recently engineered a hydroponic system using buckets and pipes to grow tomatoes. Their innovation will help contribute to the roughly 200 pounds of food harvested annually—most of which goes home with students in care packages. Jarred hopes that one day soon, they’ll produce enough to donate fresh food to a local pantry as well.

In addition to supporting students and teachers in the garden, Jarred stays busy behind the scenes. He manages garden supply purchases and writes persuasive grant applications. Thanks to his efforts, the school has received support from groups like the Garden Club of St. Augustine and will soon receive milkweed seedlings from the Florida Wildlife Association for their butterfly garden.

Last year alone, Jarred secured over $15,000 in grants for his previous school—and we have every confidence he’ll continue to grow big things at Landrum.