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Principles of Edible Education from the Edible Schoolyard Garden

I love Alice Waters' book, Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea. Worth noting (below) are the principles of Edible Education that she lays out in the book. Food is an Academic Subject A school garden, kitchen, and cafeteria are integral to the core academic mission of the school, so that ecology and gastronomy help bring alive every subject, from reading and writing to science and art. School Provides Lunch for Every Child From preschool through high school, every child is served a wholesome,...

Combating Nature-Deficit Disorder in the Garden

According to author Richard Louv, the greatest increase in childhood obesity in our history has occurred in the same two decades that the greatest increase in organized sports for children in our history. "Pediatricians are now saying that this generation of children may be the first to have a lower life expectancy than their parents and its because of this sedentary lifestyle." Studies show that kids connected to nature have Better Concentration Less Stress More Creativity and...

Composting with a Green Solar Cone Digester

We've talked about worm composting as a way to recycle food waste. But worms don't eat everything and if you do a lot of cooking, worms probably won't keep up with all your waste. In my yard, I also use the Green Cone System as an additional way to dispose of food waste. The primary function of the Green Cone System is to accelerate the natural decomposition process by raising temperatures, maintaining aerobic conditions, and encouraging the growth of micro-organisms. The system takes a...

Natural Pest Control in your Edible Schoolyard Garden

Chemicals are toxic and abound everywhere. People apply pesticides and herbicides often without thinking about the consequences. The purpose of your organic edible schoolyard garden is to connect students with both nature and their food supply. It is also a place for thoughtful contemplation for the students. Commit to using natural means to control pests. Most insects in your garden are beneficial, so you want to isolate the unwanted pest rather than blanket spraying everything. Not every pe...

Edible School Garden Grants and Donations

Looking for some extra money to finance your schoolyard garden project? Try to unearth a grant to pay for your expenses. Begin your search at KidsGardening.org or the National Gardening Association. Both maintain a database of current grants available for schoolyard garden projects. There is also your local farm bureau. A county farm bureau may provide seed donations for projects.  As a Master Gardener Volunteer, I was lucky enough to receive seeds and a small cash grant  from the Broward F...

Companion Planting-With A Little Help From Our Friends

In nature, many plants have synergistic relationships. Our ancestors saw this and practiced companion planting in ancient times. Native Americans engaged in companion planting by organizing the crops of maize, squash and beans close together and called them the Three Sisters . Some plants exude chemicals from their roots or aerial parts that repel pests and protect their neighbors. Others attract pests and are used to distract them from the main crop. This is known as trap cropping. Some plan...

Vegetable Planting Guide by Month for South Florida Gardeners

Gardens can be planted year-round in Florida, but fall is the preferred seed-planting season. Below is a planting guide published by the University of Florida/IFAS with recommendations for vegetable planting by month. Many factors influence the productivity of a garden -including; soil quality, water, drainage, amount of available sunlight, nutrients and integrated pest management. We'll explore some of these in later posts. Happy Planting! January February March April...

Worms – Nature’s Greatest Recyclers

Testing Out Our New Worm Factory The latest addition to our garden is this composting worm bin system by The Worm Factory. We purchased ours locally at Donna's Garden Gate and she even included the worms, free. The Worm Factory Worm Composter unit comes with a helpful guide that tells you how to set it up, some interesting facts on vermicomposting, the anatomy of worms and a troubleshooting section. It also includes all the bedding that you need to get started. This makes it an ideal unit fo...