The biggest challenge to sustainability is likely to be staff turnover. Without commitment and involvement, the team, and ultimately the school garden, will wither and die.

As faculty members and administrators leave the school and are replaced by new staff, maintaining a commitment to the original project goals becomes more difficult. The ability of the team to maintain focus and commitment to its vision is a significant factor in influencing the success and sustainability of the garden.

A large and adequately diverse school garden team…

keeps ideas fresh allows for a comfortable division of labor makes the chore of addressing staff turnover simpler as there are more skilled participants available to fill gaps when a team member leaves the school makes it easier to recruit new staff members as enthusiastic participants and, later, as new leaders when the majority of the school is behind the gardening effort