Edible Schoolyard Project

Alex says you need to check this out!

We're now listed as part of the Edible Schoolyard Project.  You can visit our profile page here.

The Smiles Keep Coming!

Wow!  That was another great garden club.  Today we worked on the flower bed.  I managed to clean  about a couple dozen lamb's ear plants out my home garden and brought them in to help fill in some of the holes in our school flower bed.   Afterwards, we worked on weeding some of the grasses that are starting to poke their heads up where we don't want them.  Mr. John, our most excellent school custodian, has ordered a load of mulch for the flower bed.  Hopefully it will be here when we return from spring break.

Today Mr. V was back and taught us about umami.  That's the taste best described as savory (as compared to sweet, salty, bitter, etc.).  We got to taste it at the end of club today. . . Doritos.  Not our usual snack, but sometimes only they will do.  "All things in moderation," as Mr. V often reminds us.  Ms. Shutz, a kindergarten teacher here at Cale, also came out this afternoon to join the fun.  She'll be running her own club for a while but will rejoin us later in the year.

Today's pictures are courtesy of club member, Larry.  I also took some with another camera, but his were  much better.

BIG NEWS!  Cale alum Dylan Berger has agreed to build a shed for the garden to fulfill the requirements for being an Eagle Scout.  I met with him this afternoon right after garden club, and it looks like it will be completed just after the end of this school year.  We'll have a Grand Opening celebration when we come back next year.

OTHER BIG NEWS!  Look for the return of the Armstrongs (Ms. Deirdre and Mr. Phil), our farming friends from over in the Valley, in the near future.

Well, that's all for now.  Hey, turn your computer off and get outside.  It's a beautiful day!

Mr. Rough

P.S.  Nicky, I'm really sorry I've been misspelling your name in the other posts.  Thanks for correcting me.

Nicky and Molly

What'd you find, Addi?

Beamer's new friend.

Mr. V.

Larry, our photographer of the day.

The flower bed soil is much improved.

Digging

Our target of the day.

Gardening, a social activity.

Beamer

Ms. Shutz joined us today.

Helen, Addi, Molly, and Destiny

Say "hello" to our little friends.

This Is Why

Over the last couple of years, different people have asked me why I'm running the school garden.  It became very clear today.  Here are a bunch of kids, kindergarteners to fourth graders, hanging out together, outside in the sun, digging in the dirt, and talking.  I looked up at one point today, and everyone was smiling.  That's why.

Ms. Massie joined us today and said she'd be back.  Molly and Nikki's sister, Cassie also got to skip her normal Tuesday afternoon stuff and join us today.

We missed Mr. V. today but he'll be back next week.  In the mean time, we enjoyed some fresh cantaloupe for our snack.  Well. . . most of us enjoyed it.  SOME PEOPLE insist they don't like cantaloupe even though they ate two pieces. .

Ms. Massie joined us today and says she'll be back!

Cassie also got to forgo her normal commitments and come out to the garden today.

Larry - mid-sneeze

Lucas and Ian talking in the garden.

A Beamer action shot.

Who took this?!?!

Helen and Destiny

Cassie, Esteban, and Molly

Blake cleared most of this bed by himself.

Molly, Addi, and Cassie

The Calendar Says That Technically It's Still Winter. . .

. . . but you wouldn't know it.  Today we're 20 degrees above the normal temperatures for this time of year and the weather folks are calling the last frost date about two weeks earlier than they did last year.

Anyway, it was great gardening weather.  We started our first batch of compost tea (thanks to Deirdre and Phil Armstrong for getting us started last year), started a bunch of seeds (two lettuces, two chards, zucchini, beets and zinnias), and enjoyed some banana bread and peanut butter cake from Chef V.  All in all, about as perfect an afternoon as you could wish for.  (Yes, I did just end a sentence with a preposition.  And yes, I feel bad about it.)

What we did in Garden Club today.

Beautiful garden weather.

No, this is not one of Mr. Rough's crazy soup recipes.

It's compost tea.

A decent number of starts.

What we need to get planted before too long.

The Motley Garden Crue. . . errrr, sorry. . . Crew.

Post Snow Garden Club

Another great Garden Club meeting today, despite 

the yesterday's hideous reminder that winter is not quite over.

We spread some more compost, turned it into the garden and 

caught up on a bit of weeding.  Next week, we'll be starting 

some seeds.

Nikki came to club a little early today.
She got to listen to me "yell" at my class 

I think I may be in trouble.

Cale needs a "Best View In The County" award.

Come on, guys!  Turn that compost into the soil!

Nikki and Helen

Kevin spreading compost.

Hard at work

Larry putting his weight into his work.

One of the hardest working people in Garden Club

"You mean I'm standing in horse poop?!?!"

And now I know why everyone wanted to help Mr. V.