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May 2018 Newsletter                                                         Give to keep our programs growing!

 

Prep, Plant, Harvest, Repeat!

This time of year a is busy, busy time getting the garden planted and ready for a thriving growing season. We started early and now have harvested our first spring crops including radishes.

Jackson-Via Elementary students started planting radishes, lettuce, and spinach right around Valentine’s Day – in 2 months we had enough to harvest and distribute at our "farm stand" (in front of the school) at the end of one of our sunny spring afternoons. Classes came out during the first full week of May to harvest, wash, and package up all of their beautiful produce (nearly 5 pounds of it!) 2nd graders set up packing station, complete with washing bins, drying benches, and even a quality control station.

Of course, it’s always important to taste your product. Students took a break during the hot day to sample the radishes and lettuce. While they were on their break, students reflected on their harvest. Most of them agreed that it was hard work. “I feel like a farmer”, said Gabriel, one of the students who helps in the garden every week.

GARDEN CORNER


Cucumbers

We take advantage of any excuse to highlight our amazing student artists in CCS. This is a throwback to September's Harvest of the Month. The beautiful drawing was done by Emmanuel Quezada-Romero, a 9th grader at CCS. 

In the fall, we discussed eating this crunchy, watery produce--now let's talk about growing it!

At this point of the year you are going to want to purchase a seedling from a local greenhouse (or hopefully you snagged one at the Spring Seedling Giveaway earlier this month!). Here is what you'll need to grow cucumbers!

1. Cucumbers need plenty of room. So, when planting cucumbers in the ground you have two options:

-plant them 36-60 inches apart to allow the vine room to grow OR

-Train the cucumber plants on a trellis! In this case, you can plant them 12 inches apart and guide the vines up a trellis as they grow. This is done simply by gently weaving the end of the vines through the trellis a little at a time. Trellis growing is good for smaller spaces and it is fun to see the cucumbers as they dangle from the vine making the ripe cucumbers easy to spot!

2. Make sure that you are giving the cucumber plenty of water because cucmbers are over 95% water! A cucumber plant that doesn't get enough water can lead to bitter fruits.

3. A common problem while growing  cucumbers is Powdery Mildew. To keep chances of infection down, plant cucumbers in full sun. If your plants are already infected with powdery mildew, spray with neem oil to prevent the disease from spreading any further.

Check out our Harvest of the Month page for a recipe and nutritional facts or check out our blog to reminisce on the beginning of the school year

 

 

Our new Cross-District Lesson -Peas in a Pod

Peas in a Pod is a new twist on the First Peas to the Table lesson. We needed to modify it to fit new lesson targets. This year's Peas in a Pod focuses exploration of the pea germination process rather than the pea life cycle (as is in First Peas). Youth learned about the pea germination process by placing the pea under variable conditions in the classroom and hypothesizing about how these conditions influence the growing patterns. We made sure to document the process and changes that occurred.

There were so many inspiring situations during these few days of the Peas in a Pod lesson. I, personally, was so impressed watching a classroom of first graders ban together to explain to me what the term “experiment” was. This was before we even started the  lesson. They were able to bring in the different parts and explain that it is a “science thing” where you “don’t know something” and work to “find the answer.” Taking bits and pieces to end up coming together to create a very correct answer of an experiment.

To read more about our Peas in a Pod lesson and see pictures of the scientists at work check out our blog! 

CSG sends out a hearty thank you to each and every one of the individuals, businesses and foundations that support making youth garden connections.  We thrive with your partnerships. Thank you!

 

 

 

 

  

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