My name is Robert Goodson and I started Goodson’s Gardens in 2019. Since then I have been growing food for our local Jacksonville community. Prior to farming, I was a school teacher for 6 years and was a youth minister for 4 years. I am glad to offer gardening lessons for kids, drawing on my experience as an educator and farmer. 

Goodson’s Gardens Gardening Lessons focus on teaching kids to be students and stewards of nature. All lessons are held at the farm in North Jax. Students learn how to grow a garden: everything from site selection and preparation, to seeding and transplanting, to plant care and harvesting, to eating straight from the garden (most kids’ favorite part!). Lessons are hands-on, scientifically based, and cultivate wonder. They utilize experiments to demonstrate principles of nature and explore local plants and ecology on our 3 acre farm. 

Parents and students receive a lesson summary each week. Parents are welcome to stay and learn alongside their kids too! I use a private online platform to post the summaries, homework, and answer questions. Students are equipped with the skills to garden on their own and receive their own grow bags to take home. Students will also receive my monthly e-newsletter about gardening for kids. 

Weekly Gardening Lessons:

Location of the Lessons: On our family farm on the Northside of Jacksonville. 

What students will receive: Weekly gardening lessons (a time for students to learn, discuss, ask questions, have hands on experience, explore and discover), materials (including grow kits to take home), weekly access to google classroom for summaries, homework and to ask questions, monthly access to kids gardening e-newsletter.

No contracts, you can join anytime and cancel anytime. I have a monthly fee option or a weekly option and offer lessons all year long with breaks around Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and a summer break in July. 

Parents are welcome to drop students off for lessons or stay and learn too!

Students can utilize Step Up for Students PEP and UA scholarship funds to pay for the lessons. If you'd like to do that, please register through the link below AND on the Provider portion of EMA.

How to Sign Up:

Grades K-3: Fee is $160 Monthly or $45 Weekly. They meet every Friday from 9:30 am - 10:15 am

Grades 4-12: Fee is $250 Monthly, or $65 Weekly. They meet every Friday from 10:15 am - 11:30 am

(Breaks in lessons will include 1 week at Thanksgiving, 2 weeks at Christmas, 1 week at Easter, and 2 weeks in July). 

First Lesson for Fall 2026 is on Friday September 4th. 

Sign Up For Lessons Here

For more info or to inquire please email goodsonsgardens@gmail.com or call/text Robert Goodson at 904-476-7737. Thank you!