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Special Evening Produce Sale this Wednesday from 5 to 7

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School Garden Produce Sales have been taking place Wednesdays from 10 to 1 in the Northlake Elementary School Garden all summer long, with students proudly selling the gorgeous produce they’ve grown and tended.

This Wednesday we’re breaking a bit with tradition and hosting a special Evening Produce Sale as a last hurrah before we begin Fall Garden Programs. There are still so many beautiful fruits and vegetables to be tasted and savored before the season ends.

We hope you’ll stop by for this special event.

School Garden Produce Sale: Special Evening Edition
Wednesday, Sept 6th, 5:00 to 7:00
Northlake School Garden
2210 Olympia Way

Edible Olympic is online

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What is Edible Olympic?

First the garden. On Thursdays students are farmers. They work in a 10,000 square foot garden that was an unfenced green field in early 2015. They’ve planted berry bushes, fruit trees, and have rows of soil waiting for the spring planting. They plant, weed, and thin their crops until the food is ready to harvest.

Second the kitchen. On Fridays the students are chefs. They take this produce and combine it with healthy, economical groceries and slice, dice, bake, roast, simmer, and sauté incredible meals. After the cooking class they take the ingredients they need home and cook and eat the same meal with their families.

Training for School Garden Volunteers 2/19 & 2/20 – Register Now!

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“Ultimately, it is our volunteers who make it possible for students to experience the garden in a meaningful way.”

Whether you are already helping in a school garden, or just thinking about getting your hands dirty, this FREE TRAINING EVENT is for you!

We hope you can attend one of these two (identical) sessions:

  • Friday February 19, 9:00 to noon
  • Saturday February 20, 9:00 to noon

Location:
Northlake Elementary
Garden Lab Rm 26 (2nd portable)
2210 Olympia Way
Longview, WA 98632

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Learn simple, effective techniques for helping kids (and plants!) to grow. We will work in the classroom as well as out in the garden; there will be plenty of hands-on learning. Topics include:
  • Why school gardens?
  • Garden activities and lessons
  • Starting seeds indoors and out
  • Composting with kids
  • Cooking with kids
  • Garden safety
  • Group management
  • Inquiry Based Learning
  • School Garden Resources
  • and more!

Enjoy learning and connecting with great people who have a shared passion for kids, gardens, and good food. Snacks provided. Meet the new garden rabbits Sam and Sorrel.

This training is free! All are welcome.

To REGISTER: send an email to ian@lcschoolgardens.org, specify which day works best for you.

See you there – thank you!

October is for Harvest Festivals

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The month of October was chock full of fun and goodness in the world of School Gardens. Most months of the year we delight in bringing real food and hands-on learning to hundreds of students on a weekly basis, but do you know what makes October so special?…

Harvest Festivals!

School Garden Harvest Festivals only happen once a year and call for “all hands on deck” to make them work. That means all of our School Garden volunteers, PTO members, staff, AmeriCorps members, parents and many of our board members show up to help. This year, our biggest year yet, nine elementary schools were able to participate.

That means every student at those 9 schools:

  • made and drank fresh apple cider
  • ground corn into cornmeal and wheat berries into flour
  • ran the straw bale obstacle course
  • shucked fresh corn
  • ate roasted garden veggies and corn-on-the-cob
  • listened and danced to live music
  • learned more about real food

…all in their School Gardens.

Once again, none of these opportunities for our local students to experience real food and hands-on learning could happen without the support of so many people and businesses in this community. Thank you!

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Entek generously sponsors St. Helens Harvest Festival

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Every student at St. Helens had a blast on October 6 and learned a lot about real food at the same time. The Harvest Festival at St. Helens was generously sponsored by Entek. Many thanks to all our volunteers who worked so hard to make it a wonderful day for all.

Email info@lcschoolgardens.org to get in on similar events every year during the month of October.

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Audubon partners with School Gardens

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Willapa Hills Audubon supported local school gardens in an important way in the 2014-2015 year – they sponsored a garden AmeriCorps position for $5,000!  This allowed Lower Columbia School Gardens to increase our reach significantly, and connect hundreds more kids and families with real food and hands-on learning in school gardens.

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Willapa Hills also partnered with Lower Columbia School Gardens on a bird-box building event in January, when 28 Monticello Middle School students learned about birds and habitat, then assembled a cedar bird box to take home.  We see these kids as future advocates for a greener world because of these experiences – thank you Audubon!

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Free volunteer training – Register Now!

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IMG_8881“Ultimately, it is volunteers who make it possible for kids to experience the school garden in a meaningful way.”

Whether you are currently volunteering in a school garden or are just starting to think about getting your hands dirty… this free training (pdf) event is for you! Learn simple, effective techniques and strategies for helping kids (and plants!) thrive.

We hope you can attend one of these two (identical) 3-hour sessions:

  • ​​Friday, ​February ​20: ​9:00-noon​
  • ​Saturday February 21: ​9:00-noon​
    ​

20140912_104541Location:

Northlake Elementary
“Garden Lab” Room 26 (​2nd​ portable)
2210 Olympia Way
Longview, WA 98632

We will work in the classroom as well as out in the garden – there will be plenty of hands-on learning! Topics include:

  • Why school gardens?
  • Garden activities and lessons (we have newly developed resources to share!)
  • Starting seeds indoors and outside
  • Composting with kids
  • Cooking with kids
  • Garden safety
  • Group management strategies
  • Inquiry Based Learning
  • School Garden Resources
  • The Garden Coordinator
  • And more!

Enjoy learning and connecting with great people who have a shared passion for kids, gardens and good food. Snacks provided. And yes, Steve the Rabbit will be there.

This training is free! All are welcome, even those outside Cowlitz County.
Register by simply replying to Ian.

Please specify which day works best for you.

Butler Acres Elementary School Garden is now online

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Our newest garden is a place to be if you like to grow and learn! Many families brought their best worker bees to participate in the recent work party. We are transforming the hillside into an outdoor classroom suited for science, math and nutrition lessons and for promoting good stewardship of our planet Earth. Our accomplishments so far: building retaining walls to create flat spots and “rooms” within the larger footprint, stripping sod and spreading soil, installing drains, shoveling gravel and, most importantly…planting! Already in: herbs, peas, onions, lettuce, squash, blueberries, grapes, nasturtiums, and more to come.

For a task list and the garden calendar see the garden website. Contact Cathleen McNelly if you like to help or have any questions.