Greetings from the Garden Science Team!

As we move closer to the spring season, we are preparing our garden planting plans for our schools. We are also planning our spring garden work days, where we will begin to weed and prep raised beds for our first round of seeds and seedlings. Some of our Garden Science Educators/FoodCorps Service Members continue to teach students virtually, but some are actually doing in-person lessons safely with small groups of students in classrooms. 

Some virtual and in-person lessons include teaching students about the parts of a plant and their functions. We are also well into our second session of Virtual Garden Club activities with students ranging from pre-kindergarten through 6th grade. We just had a very successful Virtual Family Baking Night, which we hosted through the King Arthur Bake For Good program. Students and their families were given ingredients and supplies to make bread dough from scratch, which they shaped, baked, and enjoyed with their loved ones. 

Our plan for the spring season is to relaunch our “Garden Open Hours”, where students and their families can sign up for a 1-hour private time slot at one of our partner schools, come out and work, and enjoy the garden within safe social distancing practices. These 1-hour garden visits are facilitated by our respective Garden Coordinators. 

We are also happy to reboot our FREE Produce Distributions at our partner schools during the spring season! We get so much pleasure from growing food and letting people in the community enjoy it! We are always looking to connect with people in the community who would like to volunteer in the gardens. Our goal is to help students, families, and school staff maximize use of their school gardens and the garden science program. 

We will keep you updated on anything new we have coming up, and we look forward to connecting with you!

— Garden Science Team: Dwayne, Rita, Alli, Serah, and Allie