Some of the fruits and vegetables served up in Cambridge elementary school cafeterias didn't travel far to get to the lunch plate, thanks to Jane Hirschi. She's the director of CitySprouts, a nonprofit organization that makes gardens an integral part of school life for children in Cambridge.

Inspired by a similar program in California, Hirschi tapped into New England's agrarian past by starting CitySprouts in 2000. CitySprouts encourages children to participate in the food cycle from seed to compost through classroom teaching, lunchtime garden clubs, and after-school and summer programs.

"I knew how important the natural world was for learning, how it makes me feel, and I thought that experience should be offered to kids," said Hirschi, the mother of two Cambridge public school students.

CitySprouts, with Hirschi as its full-time director, has two co-program directors, four part-time garden coordinators, and a board of directors. The organization is a member of the "Growing Healthy" collaborative, which also includes the food service departments of the Cambridge and Somerville public school systems, the Institute for Community Health, and the nonprofit group Groundworks Somerville.

"Jane Hirschi and CitySprouts are great partners in our efforts to promote fruits and vegetables and local produce to school children," said Virginia Chomitz, a senior scientist at the Institute for Community Health, who secured a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant for the Growing Healthy project.

For Hirschi, the payoff comes in moments such as the afternoon when some sixth grade students surprised her with their enthusiasm for finding and digging up potatoes. "It was like every potato was a nugget of gold to them," said Hirschi.