Clarkson vegetable garden seeks volunteers

The Clarkson Vegetable Garden is intended to be a community effort with produced shared among workers and the Potsdam Neighborhood Center.  Please help us develop a community of gardeners. 

Please join us for weekly work parties throughout the summer. 

Tuesdays, from 12:00-1:00 

Wednesdays from about 5:00-7:00pm. 

The garden is located on the back side of Cheel near CAMP - everyone is welcome!

April is National Gardening Month

Gardening season does start a bit later here in the North County, so we've waited until the end of the month to post something!  Here are some resources for engaging kids in gardening!

Grow It, Try It, Like It! Nutrition Education Kit
Introduce preschool children to fruits and vegetables with fun activities at your child care center or child care home. Modified kit for child care homes coming this summer!


Planting the Seeds for Healthier Eating
Help kindergarten students to learn how seeds grow into plants with this lesson from Discover MyPlate.


The Great Garden Detective Adventure
Engage in a series of investigations and fun experiences to discover what fruits and vegetables are sweetest, crunchiest, and juiciest. Use this eleven-lesson curriculum for 3rd and 4th grades. Only available online.


Dig In!
Explore a world of possibilities in the garden and on your plate using ten inquiry-based lessons that engage 5th and 6th graders in growing, harvesting, tasting, and learning about fruits and vegetables.


Dig In! Poster Set
Order these six posters to display in your classroom, the school cafeteria, and throughout the school to motivate students to choose more fruits and vegetables at meals and as snacks.


Plant It, Grow It, Eat It! Healthy Habits Take Root
Get tips from the Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet on how to start a school garden. School gardens can help increase students’ awareness of where foods come from and increase their preferences for fruits and vegetables.

Grants for youth run gardens

Katie's Krops is accepting applications from youth between the ages of 9 and 16 for grants to start a Katie's Krops vegetable garden in their community with the purpose of donating the harvest to people in need.

Selected applicants will be awarded a gift card to a garden center in their area (of up to $500), support from Katie’s Krops, and a digital camera to document the garden and the harvest. In addition to grant materials, winners will be eligible to attend the all-expenses-paid Katie's Krops Summer Camp in Pelion, South Carolina. All grantees that complete all grant requirements are eligible for funds to continue to grow their graden year after year, thereby creating a sustainable solution to hunger in their community.

Katie's Krops grant recipients are required to start and maintain a vegetable garden for a minimum of one planting season. All types of vegetable gardens, including container gardens if the applicant lives in a city or a vegetable garden located in a neighborhood or at a school, will be considered. Grantee decides where the garden will be grown. The grant recipients also determine where they will donate their harvest, which is based on need in their community (e.g., the harvest can be used to support classmates in need, homeless shelters, food banks, or neighbors in need).

Grant recipients must donate the entire harvest from the garden to people in need in their community. This may be done through direct donations to families in need or by donating the harvest to soup kitchens or organizations that feed the needy. In addition, grantees are required to submit photos and a brief report on their progress, including the amount of produce they have grown, volunteers who have helped, donations made, and what they have learned from the experience.

See the Katie's Krops website for complete program guidelines and application instructions.

Link to Complete RFP

Garden project grant opportunity

Seed Money has a grant opportunity for food garden projects. There are traditional grants as well as "crowdgrants" which offer more revenue-generating potential. Past grantees are diverse and include food banks, community gardens, schools and homeless shelters across the US and around the world. 

The application must be filled out online here https://www.seedmoney.org/ by November 12th. Applicants may want to begin the process by downloading grant instructions document here http://bit.ly/SeedMoney-2016 to see all the application questions in advance. 

Scarecrows!

From the e-mail inbox:

Dear Ms. McAdam:

Hello, my name is Brianna Larrabee.  I am a sophomore at Canton High School and I am working with a group of high school students on a new volunteer project with the Canton Recreation Department.  They are gathering 6th-8th grade kids on June 29th at Taylor Park to make scarecrows.  We would like to donate the scarecrows to gardeners and farmers in the community to thank them for their hard work growing our food.  We were wondering if you could help us spread the word to local farmers and gardeners about our project and give them the link to request scarecrows.  I have learned from Mrs. Pynchon, through my mom Beth Larrabee, that you might be able to include an announcement with a link to the request form in the GardenShare electronic newsletter. Other options could be to send it out in an email to local growers and/or post it on your website. We would be grateful for any kind of help you can provide.  I have included the information below.    

My grandfather was a farmer and my two uncles now run his dairy farm.  Through their hard work and sacrifice I have learned how lucky our country is to have people like them that will put their time and effort to help support other families.  I was excited to hear about the opportunity to help educate young kids on the importance of the farms in our community.  And I thought it was awesome that we would be able to help contribute at the same time.

Thank you for your consideration and please let me know if you have any questions. 

Brianna

Scarecrow Request Form:
Need a Scarecrow? Canton youth would like to help YOU with your agricultural efforts by making you one! For more details to request a scarecrow for your vegetable gardens or farm fields, please visit: http://goo.gl/forms/appbgEonGriqc9yM2

Project sponsors:
littleGrasse, TAUNY, GardenShare, Canton FFA and Canton Recreation Department

Please also announce that we are collecting clothing donations:
Donations Wanted:
We are collecting clothing donations to dress our scarecrows!

Items Needed (adult sizes):
Hats, Long Sleeve Shirts, Pants and Panty Hose (please have all items on bags)

Drop off locations:
TAUNY: Monday June 13-Friday, June 17 10am-5pm and Saturday, June 18 10am-4pm
McKenney Middle School Office: Monday, June 13-Friday, June 17 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Food Bank supports gardens at local programs

Edible gardens increase food security and nurture a meaningful connection between the community and growing nutritious fresh foods.

One of the goals of Food Bank of Central New York is to engage local food pantries,  free will dinners, and community members in projects supporting community food security. Through the Food Bank's Garden Grant program, these partners can receive $250 toward establishing or expanding an edible garden.

Awards will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. It is a rolling application process with no deadline to apply. Award applicants will have to meet the criteria outlined in the application and provide all the information to receive the award. The application can be accessed online under Get Help/Community Services.

Garden installation and start-up may be assisted by Food Bank staff upon request. Partner Agencies are responsible for maintaining and sustaining the garden and, of course, reaping the reward of freshly grown produce! So Let’s Get Growing!

GARDEN CORNER: NEVER TOO EARLY TO THINK SPRING

RECEIVE $250 TOWARD ESTABLISHING OR EXPANDING AN EDIBLE GARDEN!

One of the goals at Food Bank of Central New York is to engage partner agencies and community members in projects supporting community food security. With our Garden Grant program, awards of $250 each will be given to agencies that want to establish a “growing food” garden, or would like to expand their current garden.

Awards will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. It is a rolling application process with no deadline to apply. Programs will have to meet the criteria outlined in the application and provide all the information to receive the award. The application can be accessed online under Get Help/Community Services. The Food Bank accepts applications year round, allowing for spring, summer or fall garden installations, meaning your edible garden can be planted and grown throughout the year.

The grant provides a $250 reimbursement for all your growing needs. If requested, garden installation and start-up may be assisted by Beth Seeley, Community Nutrition Educator at (315)437-1899 ext. 222. The Food Bank partner agency will be responsible for maintaining and sustaining the garden and, of course, reaping the reward of freshly grown produce!

Edible gardens help increase food security in your area and nurture a meaningful connection between our community and growing nutritious fresh foods. So Let’s Get Growing!

Research re: subsistence agriculture in the Adirondacks

A fourth year student at Paul Smith's College is working on a capstone research project for a sustainability class with a focus on food security in the Adirondacks. The research project involves looking at the impact of subsistence agriculture/home gardening on food security in the Adirondacks. The research is being done via a short survey to gather information about subsistence agriculture/home gardening. A link to the survey is below, if you would like to help this student with his project. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5DXR77F 

Retiree takes up gardening, in a big way!

A great article about a couple who have turned their yard into a certified organic farm!

In the Post Star

Using Gardens to Teach

Using Gardens to Teach

Summer Institute for Educators

August 18^th-21^th

The summer institute is designed to help educators integrate gardens into their teaching. We cover topics in literacy, social studies, science, math, and nutrition, as well as build knowledge about sustainable agriculture, food systems, social justice, and ecological gardening practices. Join us for two to four days of hands-on learning!

At this year's institute, we are providing two days of instruction in garden-based curriculum for educators of youth in the primary grades (pre-kindergarten through grade 3), and two days of training in hands-on gardening and garden-building. 

Participants may register for two or four days. You may opt for two days of curriculum, two days of gardening, or all four days of the institute. Each day runs from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.

Dates:
August 18^th-19^th      Garden-Based Curriculum and Instruction
August 20^th-21^st       Gardening Skills and Garden-Building

Workshop Location:
Poughkeepsie Farm Project, Vassar Farm Lane,  Poughkeepsie, NY

Workshop Fee:
Two-Day program: $120 ($60 for City of Poughkeepsie Educators)

14 Professional Development Hours

Four-Day program: $240 ($120 for City of Poughkeepsie Educators)
          28 Professional Development Hours

Registration:
Register online at: farmproject.org/summer-institute-form

For more information:

Jamie@farmproject.org.

FOOD BANK GARDEN GRANTS STILL AVAILABLE

It was good to learn today about how the food bank that serves our area promotes growing fresh food for distribution to people in need...

The Food Bank of Central New York has Garden Grant awards available of $250 each. Grants will be awarded to local food pantries or community kitchens that are already food bank partners and that do not currently have a “growing food” garden, or would like to expand  their current garden.

Awards will be allocated to partner agencies on a first come first served basis. It is a rolling application process which means there is no deadline to apply. Agencies will have to meet the criteria outlined in the application and provide all the information to receive the award. 

The application can be accessed on the Food Bank website under Get Help/Community Services/Garden Grant. Applications being accepted all year allows for spring, summer or fall garden installations, meaning your edible garden can be planted and grown all throughout the year.

Fifth Annual Community SEED SWAP

Our friends at the Local Living Venture invite you to join in the fun at Elliotts' Agway for their annual swapping event!

Saturday, April 4
10 am - noon
Elliott's Winthrop Agway
648 State Rt. 11C, Winthrop, NY 13697
315-389-5641

FREE and open to anyone -- whether you have seed to swap or not!  Lots of fun talking about garden plans -- and free seeds (while they last) for anyone who stops by, even if you have no seeds to share!  There's always a few clumps of something interesting that someone dug up from their yards to share, too...in the spirit of neighborly swappiness!

Starting your own seeds

Some people think that the most expensive part of gardening is buying the plants. The best way to avoid this problem is to simply grow your own plants from seeds. Once you learn how to germinate seeds, you will always be able to have cheap plants. It is easy to get started with cheap seed starting. 

Go to gardeningknowhow.com to learn how!

Thinking about spring planting?

Can You Use Out-of-Date Seeds?

The simple answer is yes! No harm will come from using old seeds. The question is not so much about whether or not to use old seeds but rather your chances of germinating old seeds. Old seeds may take longer to grow flowers and/or fruit.

The flowers or fruit that come from out-of-date seeds will be of the same quality as if they were grown from fresh seeds. Using old vegetable seeds will produce vegetables that are just as nutritious as those from current season seeds.

How Long Will Old Seeds Stay Viable?

In order for a seed to germinate, it must be viable or alive. All seeds are alive when they come from their mother plant. Three major things affect a seed’s viability:

1. Age: All seeds stay viable for at least one year and most will be viable for two years. After the first year, germination rates for out-of-date seeds start to fall.
2.  Type: The type of seed can affect how long it stays viable. Corn or pepper seeds will have a hard time surviving past the two year mark. Bean, pea, tomato, and carrot seeds can all stay viable up to four years while cucumber and lettuce seeds can last as long as six years.
3. Storage conditions: Your old vegetable and flower seed packets will last longer if they are stored in a cool, dark place. Your produce drawer in the refrigerator is a good choice for storage!

Regardless of the date on your seed packet, germinating old seeds is worth a shot. Using old seeds is a great way to empty out those half-used seed packets that tend to accumulate from year to year! 

From gardeningknowhow.com

Small grants available for kids garden projects

Katie’s Krops provides small grants to support any vegetable garden, big or small, that is organized by a young person and plans to donate the harvest to charitable organizations. The application deadline is December 31st. Go to Katie’s Krops for more information: http://katieskrops.com/apply-for-a-grant.html

This would be a great way to expand a school garden’s connection to the community or for a young person or group of young people (church youth group?  Scout troop?) to do a community service project!

Gloria

Growing up in the early years of the Amish arrival

When I was growing up, the Amish were just starting to move into the region.  Some people weren't too sure what to think of these new neighbors.

One day, my dad, who worked for the railroad at the Gouverneur depot, came home all upset.  An Amish family had been stranded in a boxcar with their animals on a siding in DeKalb Junction due to some error on the railroad's part.  They had run out of food and the train crews had been sharing their lunches with them.

While he had helped resolve the situation and get them on their way to their new home near Heuvelton, he wanted to do something more to help.

Since we had about half an acre in garden, he had us pack up a couple of bushel baskets of produce and we set off to find these new arrivals to the North Country.

When we did find them, the scene was chaotic - men and boys getting animals and farm equipment situated, women and girls getting household goods into the house.  We approached with our gifts and one of the women came forward, but she did not speak English.  A young girl of about ten translated for us.

I was about thirteen at the time and the whole thing made me a feel little shy and uncomfortable.  But I watched my dad who was not bothered at all by the chaos or the language barrier as he carried on a lovely conversation with the lady of the house.

Of the many lessons I learned from my dad, that one has stuck with me to this day.  It doesn't matter that someone looks different, dresses different, doesn't speak our language - if there is something they need and I can help, I should and I will.

Gloria