School gardens in Astana — Slow Food Astana Urban Producers and the Green School project (Kazakhstan)

A school-garden movement in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana. The Slow Food Community of Astana Urban Producers, led by agronomist Aida Serik, has created 20 school gardens, while in parallel the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation's 'Green School' project has built greenhouses at 19 public schools and one college. Both were reported in January 2025 as work of roughly the previous three years; no exact start year is stated.

The greenhouses are tended by the pupils themselves, from primary-age children to school leavers. Some schools built their summer camps around the greenhouse; some tried vegetable plots, others planted orchards, and a few added ponds and ornamental planting. The foundation runs a competition with prizes for the best greening of school grounds.

Funded by a private foundation and carried by an international citizens' network (Slow Food); the aim is food education rather than selling produce.

In a country where farming supports a large share of livelihoods, city children had little contact with where food comes from. The combination chosen — greenhouses plus school grounds — is what stands out for a continental city with hard winters, and offers a handle on how school gardens can work in cold climates. Kazakhstan had no entry at all in this database until now.

Web articles and features that cover this case.

• ArticleGrowing a Healthier Generation: School Gardens Spread in Kazakhstan（Slow Food, 2025-01-16, Paola Nano） ↗slowfood.com
• ArticleSchool Gardens Spread in Kazakhstan — City Farmer News（Slow Food 記事の転載） ↗cityfarmer.info