What is Farm to School all about?

Check out this video of Farm to School's impacts.  USDA is promoting farm to school efforts to get more kids eating fresh, local foods in school.  

Learn about the effects of these programs that our tax dollars support.

Erin Maguire Begins posting on the Harriet Tubman Site!!

Every one is super excited about this development.  Look for lots of posts here soon.

A Harvest on a Plate

 We finally got to cook some of our garden produce.

We grew about seven nice butternut squashes in our Living Lab garden.  On November 20 (about a week before the Thanksgiving feast) we had our own little harvest feast in the school library.Ms. Jess showed off the parts of the squash.

Ms. Jess taught about the parts of the squash.

We carefully peeled the skin, scooped out the seeds and pulp and cut the squash into cubes.

 Ms. Shahira helped cooked it up.  Check out the recipe here.

Ms. LouisCharles and most of the kids gave it a thumbs up.  

The bok choi and Swiss chard were tastes that we may have to take some time to acquire.

Spring Festival and Outdoor Classroom Grand Opening

Harriet Tubman School

Spring Garden Festival & Outdoor Classroom Grand Opening

Wednesday, June 11
10 a.m.--4 p.m.

Please come out to celebrate spring and see how the garden has grown.  We have a wonderful new outdoor classroom built by students from Newark Leadership Academy.  Thanks to Mr. Tiseo and his students!

When will spring arrive in Newark?

What? you say, it's not even Thanksgiving and already you want to know when spring will arrive?!?

Well, we think spring in fall because this is the time for planting tulips and other bulbs. And as we have the last few years we will be participating in the "citizen science" project Journey North. 

Along with kids in schools all over the northern hemisphere we will plant Red Emperor tulips and record when they emerge and bloom.

"We are the pupils of the 5th Form from the Lycum #1557 in Zelenograd, Moscow, RUSSIA. On September 23rd, we planted 57 tulips." 

In order for it to be a "fair test" we will be following the same scientific protocol as other test gardens.  That means we plant the same variety of tulips, the same depth in the soil, the same distance apart, etc.  

Beginning very early in 2014, we will see other test gardens reporting their tulips as emerged, and then blooming.  You can see an animation of the "journey north" of spring on the map here.

All of this reporting gives us information about weather, climate and how those things affect plant development. It's really pretty cool.

Food Day in the Living Lab Garden

Did you know that October 24 is FOOD DAY?  Have you ever heard of Food Day?  Well one day in advance of Food Day we got together in our Living Lab garden to talk about food and where it comes from.  Soooooo...

"What the heck is Food Day anyway?"

•  A nationwide celebration and a movement toward more healthy, affordable, and sustainable food

"What happens on Food Day?"

•  In 2011, 2,300 events took place in all 50 states. Organizations and individuals use Food Day to celebrate what our food system does right, advocate for change, and highlight the work they are already doing.

"What are the Food Day priorities?"

•  Promote safer, healthier diets. The foods we eat should make us healthy not sick. Yet, every year we spend around $147 billion on direct and indirect diet-related health care costs!
•  Support sustainable and organic farms. Sustainable farms are those that meet the needs of today without comprising the ability of future generations to do the same. 
• Reduce hunger. Currently, around 50 million Americans are considered “food insecure"

Annual Spring Festival

 Our annual spring festival was a great success. Lots of people helped to get the garden ready including Mr. Lassiter from Harriet Tubman School and volunteers from Newark Leadership Academy.

 We did a scavenger hunt for birds, beetles, and other interesting things you can find in the garden.

 We harvested lettuce, collards and spinach and kale.  We washed some of these greens, spun them in our salad spinner, and had a taste of garden-fresh produce.

Greater Newark Conservancy staff blended "The Hulk" Green Smoothies; brewed mint sun tea; and served up watermelon, popcorn and other healthy treats.

 Clearing out last fall's collard greens gave us room to plant our new crops.









Look at these collard green flowers!

 Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, callaloo and more.
These warm season veggies will be cared for by Conservancy staff over the summer.  Come out on Thursday mornings to help and harvest something tasty to take home!