Garden-based Education Program Update: November 2009

Garden-Based Learning: Elementary Program:

Second graders at EPACS learned about seed dispersal and conducted a germination experiment where they sprouted their own seeds.  One student, after trying his first purple bean in the garden, reported back the following week, “I can’t get that purple bean out of my head, it was sooo good!”

The third graders studied bird adaptations and simulated different bird beaks while having a “feeding frenzy” in the garden.  Next week we are off to the Baylands for bird watching!

The fifth grade class studied the water cycle and the importance of water conservation. Students came up with some incredible ideas to conserve water in the garden as well as in their everyday lives.

Clifford Elementary

Clifford’s students enjoyed the fruits of their labor with Clifford Elementary first on-site Farmer’s Market.  Students harvested the produce, tied the herbs and assembled market baskets that sold like hotcakes!  The market boxes were decorated by the after school garden club from Clifford. The Market featured heirloom tomatoes, basil, carrots, celery and much, much, more.  The Clifford Garden Club has declared this the new bake sale!

Garden Club

Making Broccoli Soup In The Outdoor Kitchen at EPACS

Garden Club is enjoying the last days of sunlight and warmth while cooking up some winter delights. We've spent lazy afternoons watching the bugs and birds while playing by the pond, planted a new row of cover crops with the expert help of Wolfram "The Human Tractor" Alderson, hammed it up for filmmakers from Stanford, and cooked up a few cold weather masterpieces with the fresh EPACS veggies, including: winter squash with orange juice and cloves, broccoli cheese soup, and sorrel "sour leaf" salad with fresh persimmons from the East Palo Alto Community Farmer's Market.

Earth Club

During the past month, the Earth Clubbers were busy making paper pots to plant seeds for our greenhouse.  They also let their artistic side shine, painting a watercolor still life from flowers they had found in the garden and made into a beautiful arrangement.

Girls To Women

As the weather cooled down, Girls to Women were busy baking zucchini-sweet potato muffins (get the warm and tasty recipe here!) The garden is getting ready for some new winter crops as the last of the corn and tomato plants make their way into the compost.  On with the next season of vegetables!

Garden-Based Learning: Middle School Program

EPACS

This month students have been busy turning the last of the summer’s tomatoes into delicious salsa and harvesting pumpkins in anticipation of homemade pumpkin pie!  This month also marked the start of explorations in the Baylands.  Students are looking forward to the upcoming field trip to Hidden Villa, too!

49ers Academy

Students in Green Club have been taking care of their lettuce and herbs in the outdoor EarthBoxes while excitedly talking about the creation of the quarter-acre garden at their school.  It looks like fruit trees are on the way, thanks to a grant and collaboration with Canopy Trees.  We’ll keep you posted on upcoming opportunities to help with the fruit tree planting in January!  Also in the works is a Green Dome, donated and built by Vance Brown Builders! 

Students enjoyed cooking more seasonal and nutritious meals: broccoli sauce over whole wheat pasta (see recipe here), autumn salad with persimmons, pomegranate and pumpkin seeds!

College Track

Collective Roots has been working with College Track to continue the great after school garden and cooking programs with high school youth, despite severe program cutbacks at College Track.  We look forward to a final cooking workshop with College Track to end the fall semester, and also a new 12-week program series for the spring semester with our new AmeriCorps members!