Harvest Festival 2011!!

Another season passed.

What a blessing to be a part of this community, to be a part of Eckerd College, where students care about making the world a better place and actively do something about it, to be a part of Lakewood Elementary School, which has welcomed us and allowed us to spend time with all of the beautiful children there, to be able to build and plant and cultivate and harvest a garden...and a community.  What a blessing it is.

We had visitors tour the garden in the late afternoon, croon at our sunflowers, admire the tomatoes, peer into the compost.

Our kale and collards and sweet potato and beans all welcomed them with bright green leaves and food for the picking.

There were samples to try in the garden, nasturtium flowers, basil leaves and dill seeds.

There was okra the size of small children.

There was a palpable feeling of joy as we all shared our landscape with the community.

Inside, Eckerd College students had prepared a feast.  They each made a dish based on the vegetables we grew in the garden and the food was stupendous and healthy.

Everyone filled their plates with pasta and salad and a host of dishes like lasagna and eggplant and sweet potato.

There was more than enough for everyone and everyone was well fed.

We even spotted some elementary kids actually eating their vegetables.

Two of my project coordinators, graduating senior Jamie P.  and phenomenal sophomore Katie S. greeted folks as they came through the door, welcoming them to our celebration.

Kaylie B., who was a big part of the garden before she graduated last year, came to visit her old and new friends, sharing a laugh with Tommy L., Cheslea E., Ethan M., Sydney C., and Jamie P.

There were seconds, and thirds.

And everyone readied themselves for some entertainment.

Three of the fourth grade boys from chorus agreed to sing The Garden Song led and accompanied by Lakewood Elementary's fantastically talented music instructor Mrs. Alfaro.

Three fourth grade girls from strings then serenaded us with four songs on the violin and viola.

We had an opportunity to thank Alpha Kappa Alpha, whose generous support helped us get started in the fall and serve up full dishes in the spring.

We also had an opportunity to thank Sarah T., who brought her mom, and whose work developing the Wellness Kitchen and teaching nutrition from our garden was perhaps the most generous gift we received this year.  

We will MISS Sarah!!

The Eckerd students enjoyed the show.

We even raffled off eight eggplant and pepper plants to several lucky winners who were excited to bring them home and see how much they could grow.

It was a wonderful evening with a lovely community,

and I am truly one of the luckiest people in the world.

SEE YOU NEXT FALL!!

Kip Curtis

Project Manager

Planning and Cooking up a Storm!

Today was spent making final preparations for the harvest festival... making posters, buying last minute groceries, and gathering pictures... everyone is so excited! Despite some initial organizational confusion (as is the case with most big events), everyone left the meeting with a sense of preparedness and anticipation. I'm excited to see how the parents respond to all the hard work the kids have been doing this semester... I think they will be pleasantly surprised!

I have been spending my afternoon cooking up a storm! I am making eggplant lasagna, and so far it's coming out as planned... let's keep our fingers crossed!

In other news, everyone was quite amused with the plight of monk parakeets that frequent our garden. They showed up this morning, despite the mass of people, and tried to attack our sunflowers. We managed to shoo them away (for now), but this introduce species definitely enjoys munching on the flowers pretty regularly. Here they are pictured perched on the power-line, waiting for us to turn our backs!

Stay tuned for tomorrow's update from the Harvest Festival... you won't want to miss it!

Getting Ready and Growing Strong

Every day is literally a new day for me in the garden. Things grow so much in a weekend's time and although we are battling fungus in some of our beds, the others are doing phenomenal! Our Okra is so delicious and healthy. I've never grown my own food so I'm learning a lot - my favorite fun fact is that when the flower of a plant (like squash) dies, that means it's ready to be eaten! What great communicating mother nature is capable of :)

The most amazing thing I've seen when it comes to fast growing are our sunflowers! They are my favorite flower and it is so welcoming to see this giant leaves and flowers every time I visit the garden!


Just so you have an idea, Max (pictured) is about 6'2'' and most of the sunflowers are taller than him! It's been such an incredible journey watching them go from tiny stalks to illuminated flowers. I cannot wait for the Harvest Festival next Tuesday and I know the kids are just as excited to show off the garden.

We have put a lot of hard work into the garden this year and I cannot wait to cook food using the veggies and show the parents what the kids have been up to at school! A lot of my Lakewood lovelies have been talking about wanting to start their own garden and so maybe if their parents see the success of ours, they'd be willing to start one of their own! Although, a large majority of my children's families already have gardens which is great! 

This semester has been so inspiring for me and I hope it is as inspiring the children. Above is a picture of our baby watermelon growing into a young adolescent :) (pictured above with the sandal). I remember a couple weeks ago when it was the size of a grape! Our tomatoes (pictured below) are also looking quite delicious. I'm getting so excited for all the delicious foods we are going to have and all the wonderful company that we are going to be surrounded by!

We spent the day prepping the garden for our visitors as well as reviewing all of the cycles and lessons we've learned over the semester with our kids. Next week will be our final goodbye :(

Next Tuesday @ Lakewood Elementary!
"Be there or be a rotten cucumber"
(as one of my darling first graders exclaimed when I told them about the Harvest Fest) 

Peace,

Jamie P.

Growing and Progress!

 April 28, 2011

        Today was one of the first days I started to notice the hot Florida temperatures, as the temperature is normally pretty moderate at 8 AM in the morning. Upon arriving, we had some time for maintenance. I did some weeding of various areas, while Joanisa worked on removing the beetles from the sunflowers. We also made some kale chips for the kids with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. They were delicious.

           This morning we noticed that the birds had chewed off a sunflower from its stem, and it had fallen to the ground. We took this opportunity to dissect it and teach the kids about the anatomy of a flower, and how each part is beneficial. We used terms like seed, stem, petal, and leaf to help them identify each part.

         When the kids came, we reviewed everything that we have learned this year. We went over the life-cycle of a butterfly and its importance (with kale chips as a reward), and the water cycle. Additionally, we discussed the different elements plants need to grow such as soil, water, and sunlight. Finally, we covered the topic of the insects' role in the garden, which is by far the kids' favorite topic. It is very rewarding to see that the students are starting to recognize which plant is which, and where each plant is growing.

The pumpkins (above) are coming along very nicely, as does the corn (below). 

            Today's lesson was about watering the garden. We filled up several watering pots and allowed each student a chance to water some produce. However, things quickly turned chaotic when the students got carried away and began to get very wet. It was at this point that we reconvened to have a discussion about how to safely and correctly water a garden without getting wet.

            Tommy spent a lot of time collecting seeds from the wildflower and herbs area. The process looked extremely tedious. However, this process is the most beneficial when teaching about sustainable gardening. A lot of the students seemed surprised that the seeds are produced by the flowers. It was a good visual for them to actually see this happen.

Dill seeds have been collected on the left in the clay cup, and cilantro was collected in the plastic cup to the right. 

            All in all, the day was very successful. With the help of the students, the garden is fully watered and the weeding and seeding seems to be under control. We are very excited for the Harvest Festival, and are looking forward to sharing the food with the community, sampling all the dishes, and enjoying the garden.

Wednesday April 27

This week's lesson is a review of the many cycles we have talked about in the garden with the kids. On Wednesdays, we have all younger kids, so instead of playing the scavenger hunt, we simply walked them around the garden and talked about some of the things we have learned. We stopped at the compost to talk about soil and what makes good soil.

 

We stopped at the wildflower bed to talk about and pollination and the seed cycle

 

We also stopped to look at different bugs found in the garden, and talked about why they are important members of the garden 

We finished the lesson by letting the kids pick their favorite game to play.

The rest of the day was spent spreading mulch around the garden, and getting it in great shape for the Harvest Fest.

We have been visited a few times this week by a group of wild parakeets that love to munch on our sunflowers. Sadly, they tend to destroy whole parts of the flower:

At least the birds are enjoying our garden as well!

Good Morning Peace Patch!

 I love walking through the doors leading out to the Peace Patch.  It is quiet, a little before 8 in the morning and the sun is just coming up over the garden.  

What a great sight.  It has been an amazing experience watching not only the plants grow week to week but the relationships with the kids and community grow as well.  The time has flown and with only 2 weeks remaining today's lesson was a review of what we have learned.  The kids had an awesome time on a scavenger hunt with clues that lead them all around the garden.  

Sweet Potatoes ready to be harvested.

Lots of yummy vegetables are ready to be harvested for the Harvest Festival next week. The festival will be on May 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Students are encouraged to bring their family and friends to show them the garden and to share in the harvest.  Each volunteer will be making a dish from a vegetable grown in the garden that will be served at the festival.  I personally am looking forward to the sweet potato casserole Katie is making.  Yummy!  

Can you guess what I could be making from this vegetable?

Hope to see you all next week at the Harvest Festival!!

peace and gardening

Elizabeth 

Start your morning right...With a big pile of mulch!

Today was a quiet day at Lakewood, it was a teacher work day so we sadly did not have any youngsters to grace our presence in the garden. However, as we near the harvest festival (May 3rd), having no kids around did not mean we twiddled our thumbs. There is much to be done in the garden.

When I arrived Erin was arms deep in clearing leaves which had been overtaken by a fungus from the cucumber.

 Once our friends arrived with the truck filled with mulch, Erin, Christina and I set out on the job of moving the mulch to its new home on the ground.

 After much joyful labor, we emptied the truck. This was one of the biggest truckloads of much yet!

 And much needed, as the sedge was already taking over as fast as it could.

Soon the garden will be looking in tip-top shape. Starting the week with some sprucing up is a great way to build high energy and hopes for a wonderful harvest-fest next week! Hope to see you all there!

Max

A Reflection

As an independent study person (i.e. a project manager) for the Lakewood Edible Peace Patch project, I really don't have words to describe the experiences I have encountered and the things I have learned this past semester. I have learned more then lesson planning and what goes into organizing a project - I have learned about myself. There is a sadness that comes with my graduating because I know that working in the garden with these kids is probably not something I will able to continue next year. I love seeing how excited they get when they come to the garden, and even more, I love how well they retain information they have learned in the previous weeks! This hands on learning style is so great for them and I'm a tad jealous I never had this experience in elementary school!

It has been such a phenomenal semester at Lakewood and coming into this project knowing VERY little about gardening, I am shocked that I know have the confidence to start my own garden at home and that I am capable of planting and taking care of things that turn into food! I have learned that although it's hard work and sometimes doesn't turn out the way you plan, in the end it gardening and growing food feels great, looks great, tastes great and is just such a powerful and amazing thing that has come into my life, and I am so thankful for this opportunity.

And who says the Wellness Kitchen run by Sarah Tucker is just for the Lakewood students....this garden has made ME improve my eating habits at home. Not only do I shop organic, I have started composting, and am absolutely addicted to kale chips! Sarah Tucker definitely makes eating vegetables fun and delicious :)

My favorite part of the garden this week is definitely our baby watermelons! Maybe because they're small and adorable but mostly because the kids thought I was lying when I said we had watermelons and now I have proof! :)

I have taken so much from this project and I cannot wait to see the progress it makes through the years.

Peace
Jamie P

Sunny Day

This morning we asked what students remembered about the previous lesson. "Don't pick the veggies!" they cried out earnestly, nearly in unison and echoing each other. Good enough. We continued with this week's lesson about endemic plants as we meandered through the outskirts of the garden, home to many of the native plants (as described eloquently in Monday and Tuesdays blog posts). Today, before we could quite complete the lesson, most of the class had wandered off, distracted by the beauty of the sunflowers (we can't blame them, they were tiny last they had seen). Now, the stalks towered over them, flowers as big as their faces. Some sunflowers had beetles buried in them, as one student noted. Though a bit skiddish being anywhere near the bees, they appreciate them very much and understand the good that they do. From afar, some students call the bees their cousins, recounting tales of having worked with them, pollinating and protecting the queen (they're now retired). The bumble bee we saw today was deemed their grandmother. Some students traipsed through the garden, curious to find out the name of each plant (again), pushing aside leaves to find the ceramic signs or asking us. While one student munched down on raw dill with delight, another spat it out, still smiling. One student asked to wear my sunglasses. I gave them with the condition that she pass them on in a few moments and that she tell the person she gives them to to pass them on in a few moments, and so on. We were so proud to see how well they shared! After choosing out leaves from the native plants, the students made leaf rubbings with colored pencils and crayons. Because we were all so well behaved today, we got treated to cucumber slices! Some students diligently picked out the seeds (without being asked, mind you) one by one to lay out in the sun and save. We also took out the sidewalk chalk to draw garden related pictures (and names and hop-scotch).
We've recently learned that students respond beautifully to song, especially the "put it in the compost" riff.
Weave Peace and Plant Seeds,
Joanisa Tenreiro 

Happy Wednesday!

Today was a miraculously beautiful day out in the Peace Patch!  The day began with routine maintenance but then launched into a great debate over the best Florida Native plants!  Our classes today learned about the Florida Friendly or native plants that we have planted alongside our vegetable beds and sunflowers.  These plants are important to our ecosystem here in Florida and they provide many incentives for birds and butterflies.  Many are flowering plants that once in bloom radiate under the Florida sunshine and still others are soon to be vibrantly full of berries!  The list began at the Weeping Holly which is a white colored tree with small leaves and soon to have tons of red berries, Jamaican Caper which has also small leaves is a smaller plant with flowers about to open, Simpson's Stopper which has notably thick waxy leaves for water retention which is a great trait of Florida natives.  The rest of the plants, Cocoa Plum was interesting for its berries, Beauty berry had as one student pointed out mint like leaves, Christmas berry looks like a Christmas tree, fire bush is red and finally coral honeysuckle vine.

  Our students had a blast learning about the different plants but they insisted upon visiting the garden as well.  The garden has become greener and greener everyday!  As a treat for our first class we cut up a green and a yellow cucumber and gave pieces to the students after they had finished their drawings.  The students were asked to trace the leaves with colored pencils to note the differences among them and to point out specific characteristics of the different plants.  This lesson was a great success on a great Wednesday!  In addition to the cucumbers we were able to harvest a huge yellow squash, some gigantic okra and nasturtiums which go great on a salad!  Everyone was loving the green in the garden today and I especially enjoyed the enthusiasm from our students who make our project possible.

Have a great week!
Christina Pucci

Tuesday April 19, 2011

This week's lesson is on Florida Friendly Plants.    Two vocabulary words that are being introduced this week are endemic and exotic.  Endemic plants are plants that are native to Florida, while exotic plants are not native to Florida.  We are lucky enough to have a number of native or endemic (from Florida) plants in our garden.

Students and Teachers circle up to find out the lesson of the day.

Included in this week's lesson is a tour of the native plants found in the peace patch and leaf rubbing.  The students were excited to learn about plants from their area and also to get creative with the leaf rubbing.  We have lots of great pictures to show off at this years Harvest Festival in May.

Firebush or Hamelia patens. An endemic plant that attracts butterflies with it's bright red blooms.

I hope everyone has a great week, its awesome to see how much things are growing and how excited the kids are getting for the Harvest Festival.  

peace and sunshine:)

Elizabeth