Farm to School

So, if you haven't noticed, getting good food into school cafeterias has become a popular idea lately. Especially since Michelle Obama has taken this on as an issue she feels passionately about. The Farm to School movement just keeps growing and growing. People want to eat real food, from sources close to home, that are healthier and tastier, and that support local producers and economies.

Salem Keizer has really taken a lead in this movement with the help of the Salem-Keizer Education Foundation and Oregon Department of Agriculture. We now have a full time garden coordinator--Brenda--and a Food Corps volunteer--Christopher--and one of the only K-12 farm to school programs in the US. Wow! Sounds impressive, huh?

Get educated and get involved!
Brenda and Christopher will be working with McKinley and starting a gardening club at our school.
Come to a Parent Teacher Club meeting and hear how you can get involved.
Check out the links posted on this blog, like Farm to School.

And mark your calendars!!
October 24th is National Food Day whose motto is
It's Time to Eat Real, America.

Check out the link under other garden links.

Happy gardening!

IT'S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME!! What's Been Happening in the Garden?

Good question!

Thanks to the diligent attention of a few McKinley families, and helpful bond construction workers, the garden was watered and tended all summer. One of the perks of water duty is that you get to eat what's out there. The lettuce, peas, radishes, green beans and chard were awesome. Thanks to James and Wandering Aengus for lending us the huge water tank we used, and then hauling it away when we finally got the water back on.


Here are some pictures of the garden. I encourage you to go see it! Wander through before or after school and ask your kids what they've been learning about the garden. You might be surprised at what they say.

Remember how lettuce likes nice
cool weather?
This is right after planting.
Little baby plants!

Then it got hot finally this summer. Do you know what
happens to lettuce when it gets hot? It bolts!
It grows like a tree trunk and tastes terrible!
These went straight into the compost for the worms.

Guess what happens when you cut off the
head of a cabbage? It grows little baby
cabbages like these.

Guess what this is? Flower or vegetable? Both!
This is an artichoke that never got picked when you could eat it, so it "flowered."

Yep, that's a pumpkin alright!

The kindergarden's sunflowers grew tall and strong. See those little black things near the bottom? They're sunflower seeds!