SPRING IS IN THE AIR!                                                              www.cityschoolyardgarden.org
April 2018 Newsletter                                                    Give to keep our programs growing!

______________________________________________________________


City Schoolyard Garden at Buford Middle School Announces the 2018 Spring Seedling Project

May 2 & 3 from 3:30-5:30pm
Buford entrance 1000 Cherry Avenue

Hundreds of veggie, herb and flower starts available for a donation to CSG.
Mark your calendars to help support these amazing student growers who have
been working hard since February to get the Charlottesville community
8,000+ seedlings this year!

 

Spring has SPRUNG Johnson...

Spring is finally upon us in the Johnson Garden.

Early spring in the Johnson Garden has been surprisingly busy. Taking advantage of any warm day, we have spent our time outside getting ready for planting by turning beds and sifting compost, and learning about the natural processes and creatures that help our garden grow. Using our new x4.5 magnifying glasses, we studied worms, centipedes, rolly-pollys and beetle larvae (grubs). Demystifying these creatures is essential to creating serious student gardeners and scientists.

On colder days, we brought a little bit of the garden inside, learning about worms and carrots! We brought nightcrawlers, red worms and meal worms (which are actually the larvae of a species of darkling beetle) from the bait shop into the classroom. Our students had an opportunity to see and touch these little creatures and to learn a bit more about them, and how they help us. We learned that worms breathe through their skin and that their slime helps them move through the soil. Worms and other bugs are an important part of our Garden, breaking down dead plant material and leaving behind waste full of nutrients.

 

2018 ROOT! A Celebration of Volunteers and Partners

 On April 12th, City Schoolyard Garden hosted Root! at Jackson-Via Elementary to honor and recognize the contributions of our partners in education and in the community. Those who have gone above and beyond in support of the gardens were awarded Golden Trowels and Golden Beets. The sunny evening, although very blustery, was a beautiful way to spend time showing appreciation for our partners and volunteers in the community.

We had music from local artists Travis Elliot and Tucker Rogers that helped set the stage for a relaxing evening spending time in the Jackson-Via garden. Guests were also treated to food and drink by such local businesses as Pearl Island Foods, Corner Juice, Marie Bette, and Roots Natural Kitchen. Guests were also given some student-led tours of the Jackson-Via garden by some very enthusiastic students. The students were so knowledgable in their tours and really were able to create an exciting image of what has been happening this year at Jackson-Via. Although early and some beds looked empty, they knew exactly which seeds and plants were in each bed.

See more pictures on our Blog!

GARDEN CORNER

BEETS

These delicious earthy veggies are a favorite here at CSG. There is nothing like reaching down to the earth and pulling up a brightly colored beet straight from the ground with a solid pluck! Their sweet, sweet taste makes them a great roasting vegetable but there are so many things you can do with them. Here are a few:

BEET SALAD
Slice and roast the beets in the oven. Let cool and add some fresh red onion, goat cheese and balsamic vinegar for a delicious salad. 

PICKLE THEM
Place them in a vinegar brine with whatever vegetables you have on hand (onions, carrots, peppers) and in a week you'll have a delicious pickled beet that is both tangy and sweet and turned everything red!

JUICE IT
Beets make a sweet juice! Combining it with a some juiced Kale, Lemon and Apple will make a delicious filling treat!

MAKE A PESTO
Blend a roasted beet with Parmesan Cheese, Walnuts, olive oil, salt and pepper to make a delicious beet pesto! Nothing will beet this dip!

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!

For Support of the Charlottesville Food Justice Network

www.cvillefoodjustice.org 

  

__________________________ 

 

For Support of the City Schoolyard Garden

 

 

 

Join our Cultivar Partners. Donate to City Schoolyard Garden today!