Grant Received For School Gardens

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1 In This Issue: F A L L Office Location 1460 E. Alexander Love Hwy York, SC x 101 District Coordinator Barbara O Connell barbara.oconnell@sc.nacdnet.net Commissioners Bennie Copeland, Chairperson Beth White, Vice Chair C. W. Senn, Jr., Treasurer Peggy Palmer Commissioner Emeritus Evelyn Edmunds Associate Commissioners Liz Christenberry Martha Dial Robert Walker Lee Petitgout Duane Christopher USDA/NRCS Personnel Rebecca Briggs District Conservationist Page School Garden Grant 1 Student Contests 2 What s New at YSWCD? 3 School Gardens 4 Become an Affiliate 5 Wings & Beaks 6 YORK SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT NEWS Http ;//yorkconservationdistrict.org Land is not merely soil; it is the foundation of energy flowing through plants & animals......aldo Leopold Grant Received For School Gardens The Conservation District s School Garden Program is getting a big boost soon from a grant from Duke Energy. The funds will help provide raised bed gardens for up to ten additional schools in York County who wish to participate in the School Garden Lesson Series program for first grades during the school year. The Conservation District is working on an application process whereby interested schools can request funding under this program. To get on the list for an application, contact Barbara O Connell at the Conservation District office call or Barbara.oconnell@sc.nacdnet.net. Page 1

2 FALL 2016 YORK SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT Student Contests Poster Contest The theme for the 2016 Conservation Poster Contest was We All Need Trees and winning posters were chosen in three categories: Grades K 1: First Place Evin Kuzan, Springfield Elementary Honorable Mention John Dial, Harold C. Johnson Elem. Grades 2-3: First Place Kemaya Baxter, Finley Road Elementary Grades 4-6: First Place Mason Kuzan, Springfield Middle School First Place K-1: Evin Kuzan Springfield Elem Honorable Mention K-1: John Dial First Place 2-3: Kemaya Baxter with teacher Vivian McMoore, Finley Road Elem First Place Grade 4-6: Mason Kuzan Springfield Middle School Scarecrow Contest Each year the District sponsors a Scarecrow Contest for students in grades K-8. This year the winner was Cherinity Starr, a 4th grader at Bethany Elementary in Clover. Scarecrows will be on display at Black s Peaches which cosponsors the contest, and will be used in our school gardens in the spring. Photography Contest It is not too early for students to submit photos in the District s contest the deadline is April 15, Contact the District or go to the web site for entry forms and complete rules. Page 2

3 FALL 2016 York Soil & Water Conservation District What s New At YSWCD District No-Till Drills Have Been Sold! For many, many years, the Conservation District rented no-till drills to area farmers for pasture planting. When this program began, no-till planting was a new concept promoted as a better practice than tilling for maintaining soil health, there were no local shops providing rentals and new drills were too expensive for a small farmer to buy. The York Conservation District bought its first no-till drill in the1990s and offered it for rent as a service to local farmers. Today, no-till planting is an accepted practice, many local farmers have invested in their own notill drills, and there are local equipment dealers who rent them. With the increasingly expensive maintenance cost of keeping this equipment, District Commissioners decided that now was the time to get out of the drill renting business. School Garden Volunteer Workshops The Conservation District helps many schools across the county with school gardening programs in the spring and volunteers are needed to assist, especially during the May garden harvest. To find out more about how you can help, please register for a 2017 Garden Volunteer Workshop they will be held on: Thursday, January 5, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, January 11, 10 a.m. to noon. Call Barbara at x101 to register for one of these dates. BirdSleuth Workshop for Teachers Save the date Saturday, February 25, am to 1 pm at the Museum of York County for a free BirdSleuth Workshop for teachers! This workshop will provide materials and lessons to teach about animal diversity, adaptations and habitat by studying birds. There will be two groups one for K-5 and another for grades 6-12 and is open to all area teachers from public, private or home schools. Register at the Museum by calling Page 3

4 FALL 2016 YORK SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT SCHOOL NEWS SCHOOL GARDENS The Conservation District is so proud of the many schools in York County who are teaching their students about plants through gardening and we are happy to be able to assist with hands-on lessons, raised bed construction plans, seeds, and harvest helpers. Through this program, the district has worked with 22 schools, 113 classrooms and over 2800 students in all four school districts in York County. New schools participating this year are Mt. Holly Elementary and York Preparatory Academy. Thanks so First graders at Bethel Elementary in Clover plant their spring 2016 veggie garden. much to members of local woman s clubs, garden clubs & Master Gardeners for assisting with lessons, planting and harvesting! The District presented Thank you baskets to volunteers from York County Woman s Club, Rock Hill Woman s Club & Master Gardeners for all their help with school gardens. Baskets were provided by Black s Peaches. Spring 2016 garden with lettuce, carrots and radishes at Hunter Street Elementary. YSWCD 2016 School Garden program made possible through volunteers and donations from the Woman s Club of Rock Hill, York County Woman s Club, Town & Country Garden Club, Accolade Garden Club, Master Gardeners and Affiliate members of the Conservation District. Thank you! Page 4

5 FALL 2016 York Soil & Water Conservation District THANK YOU TO OUR 2016 AFFILIATES Thanks to all the conservation supporters who have become affiliates for 2016! With schools being back into full swing this fall, we are conducting a lot of education and outreach in all four York County school districts. The Conservation District works hard to promote classroom activities that encourage good stewardship of our natural resources. Please show your support for the many educational programs in the District by becoming an affiliate, or renewing your affiliate membership for 2017 today!! Help us make a difference in conservation education we can t do it without YOU! Please clip the form below and send it along with your tax deductible gift to: Page 5 York Soil & Water Conservation District 1460 E Alexander Love Hwy York, SC _ AFFILIATE MEMBERSHIP FORM Name Company Address City, State, Zip Phone Check category: Protector ($50-$99) Conservationist ($100- $249) Guardian ($250- $999) Steward of the Land ($1000 +) STEWARD OF THE LAND SC Department of Natural Resources York County Council Duke Energy/ Rick Jiran GUARDIAN Farmer s Service Center/ Lewis Hicks York County Farm Bureau Senn Cattle Farm / C.W. Senn, Jr. Blackwell Farms/Paul Blackwell Edward Jones Investments/Robert W. Winkler Pump House Restaurant/Elliott S. Close Boney & Farmers Mutual Insurance/Will Mitchell Accolade Garden Club CONSERVATIONIST Nancy Cornwell-Daves Edward Jones Investments/Jon Brownfield Nance Tractor/Michael Nance Ketchen Place Farm/ Peggy Palmer Tumble T Bar T /Ted Bartee Carolina Fresh Farms/ David Rector Covington Dairy/William Covington J W Edmunds & Son/J. Wesley Edmunds Jr. Woman s Club of Rock Hill Clint & Carolyn Boyd Town & Country Garden Club Black s Peaches/ Arthur Black Dunlap-Johnson Chevrolet/Joe Johnson LaKeisha Barber Comporium Roach Farm/Richard Roach York Electric Cooperative, Inc. AgSouth Farm Credit Erwin Farm/David Anderson York County Woman s Club Elrod Pope Law Firm/Tommy Pope APEX/ James Patterson Curtin Farms LLC/ Hugh Curtin III Young Farm/ Edward Young Rocky Ridge Farm/ Chris & Barbara Douglas Mellon Insurance Solutions/ Steve Mellon PROTECTOR Circle E Farm/ Evelyn Edmunds Henry Mitchell Bush-N-Vine NSC USA, Inc. McCarter Cattle Farm/Lisa McCarter Mauney Farms/Roger Mauney

6 YORK SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT FALL 2016 Sign Up for a Wings & Beaks Program How do baby birds know when to peck their way out of the egg? Why do some birds migrate and how do they know when it is time? Why are some male birds brighter than females? What do their songs and calls mean? Birds are the most fascinating of animals! Help your students learn about the many adaptations and great diversity in nature by studying birds. The Conservation District has a Wings & Beaks presentation suitable for K-5 that includes making bird feeders for the schoolyard to help bring birds up close and personal for Slathering a pine cone with shortening or peanut butter & rolling it in bird seed makes a great bird feeder. further study. Cost is $40 per classroom which includes all materials for making bird feeders. District Coordinator Barbara O Connell helps a class fill feeders made from water bottles. If you do not wish to receive this newsletter, please contact our office at or barbara.oconnell@sc.nacdnet.net. If you get this newsletter via US Postal Service and would rather receive it by and in color, please contact us with address. All programs and services of the York Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA-NRCS, and the SC DNR, Division of Land, Water and Conservation are offered on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status or handicap. York Soil and Water Conservation District 1460 East Alexander Love Highway York, SC Page 6