HOT ON THE PRESS!!!! Veggie Bytes. Back to School Soil Prep

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August October 2015 Volume 6 Issue 2 Veggie Bytes Back to School Soil Prep School is starting and it is time to get the garden back in shape for planting, especially if you were not able to keep up

Any type of southern pea works great as they help suppress weeds, are easy to grow, and are pretty cheap, so you can buy a lot and over seed to help out compete the weeds.

If your garden was fallow, and now weedy, remove the weeds and compost or throw them away. Now is a good time to add amendments, like fertilizer and compost, before you till or turn your soil.

1 August October 2015 Volume 6 Issue 2 Veggie Bytes Back to School Soil Prep School is starting and it is time to get the garden back in shape for planting, especially if you were not able to keep up with it over the summer break. LSU AgCenter recommends planting a cover crop for fallow school gardens. Any type of southern pea works great as they help suppress weeds, are easy to grow, and are pretty cheap, so you can buy a lot and over seed to help out compete the weeds. If you planted a cover crop, mow or weed eat the crop residue. The smaller the residue, the easier it will be to incorporate and will break down faster. If your garden was fallow, and now weedy, remove the weeds and compost or throw them away. Now is a good time to add amendments, like fertilizer and compost, before you till or turn your soil. Once you have added your amendments, you can then till or turn the soil with shovels. The turning method works great if there are plenty of eager hands who can t wait to do something in the garden. Taking care of your garden s soil is one of the most important parts of gardening. While you change crops with the seasons, you keep growing in the same soil. Think of the soil as a part of your crops, because it really is. Outside of photosynthesis, the soil is the main medium for a plants nutrients. A healthy, balanced soil makes producing a healthy, balanced garden much easier. HOT ON THE PRESS!!!! Our newest publication, A Guide to Growing a School Herb Garden is currently at the printer s and will be available in hardcopy soon. Herbs play a very important role in the garden. Not only do they add texture and contrast to vegetable plants, they can be quite useful for enhancing the natural flavors of many fruits and vegetables, or used for teas. Herbs make pretty flowers and or enhance a dishes flavor. Herbs also serve as host plants for many beneficial insects, and some may deter unwanted insects. This guide covers the basic herbs we can grow and activities you and your students can do together. We hope it will inspire you to explore another fascinating chapter in the garden world What s Growing 2 Funding Opportunity 2015 Charles Burke Teacher of the Year Ponchatoula Area School Gardens DIY Soil ph Test 4 You can download the pdf version of A Guide to Growing a School Herb Garden at: Lawn+and+Garden/School-Gardens/AGuidetoGrowingaSchoolGardenHerbGarden.htm Veggie Bytes 6.1 Page 1

mustard greens, cucumbers, lettuce, okra, shallots, and turnips Transplant:

Chinese cabbage September Vegetables Direct seed: beets, broccoli and

kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard, onion, radish, snap beans, Swiss chard,

October Vegetables Direct Seed: beets, carrots, celery, collards, kale,

Transplant Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage Grant Opportunity!

This grant will provide $2,000 to support educational gardens working with K-12

Eligible recipients must: Grow an edible educational garden not for butterfly

garden The applicant must be a 501 (3) nonprofit organization If you received a

community partner- local business, garden club, nonprofit, farm are all

The application period begins September 1, 2015 and goes to October 31 st!

2 What s Growing! August Vegetables Direct seed: snap, lima, and butter beans, beets, collard and mustard greens, cucumbers, lettuce, okra, shallots, and turnips Transplant: cauliflower and tomatoes Start seeds of: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and Chinese cabbage September Vegetables Direct seed: beets, broccoli and cauliflower (early in the month), carrots, collards, English and snow peas, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, mustard, onion, radish, snap beans, Swiss chard, and turnips. Transplant Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and Chinese cabbage. October Vegetables Direct Seed: beets, carrots, celery, collards, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, leeks, mustard, onions, parsnips, radishes, Swiss Chard Transplant Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage Grant Opportunity! The Whole Kids Foundation is offering an Extended Learning Garden Grant. This grant will provide $2,000 to support educational gardens working with K-12 grade students or primary-secondary grades. Eligible recipients must: Grow an edible educational garden not for butterfly gardens or other themed gardens You must engage at least 10 children in the garden The applicant must be a 501 (3) nonprofit organization If you received a prior Whole Kids Foundation Extended Learning Grant you will not be eligible to receive funds for the same garden. But you can start a new garden The applicant must have support from at least 1 community partner- local business, garden club, nonprofit, farm are all acceptable partners. The application period begins September 1, 2015 and goes to October 31 st! Let Veggie Bytes know if you receive a grant for your garden. We would love to feature your students in one of our issues. For more details visit this webpage -garden-grant They also have guides to help you write a successful grant proposal that are very useful for writing any grant! Veggie Bytes 6.1 Page 2

A Look back at 2014-2015 School Years Garden Successes! Charles Burke Teacher Selected as La.

3 A Look back at School Years Garden Successes! Charles Burke Teacher Selected as La. Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year 2015 Judy Morgan, 4th grade teacher at Charles Burke Elementary in Duson, La. was selected as Louisiana Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Teacher of the Year Ms. Morgan was presented with the award by Lafayette Parish Farm Bureau President, Linda Duhon and Lafayette Parish Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Chair, Bernita Rosinski. Ms. Morgan is coordinator of the LSU Ag Center 's School Garden Initiative for Charles Burke Elementary. The program is run with the assistance of the Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners. This is the 7th year that Burke has had a school garden. Each year approximately 80 to 100 4th grade students participate in growing various vegetables in above ground tubs. Each student has their own tub, which teaches them responsibility. The students water the tubs by class with selected students going out each day and tending to this task. Each year students learn about soil texture, planting from seed and plants, watering, weed and insect control and identification, identifying problems and timely harvesting. Once the vegetables are ripe, students harvest, clean, chop, prepare, cook and serve and eat. Ms. Morgan summarized the student experiences as such. "Over the years we have experienced that many of these students have never cooked nor eaten vegetables like broccoli and mustard for the first time. Students are more open to the idea of eating healthy if the vegetables are ones they grew and prepared rather than store purchased. We usually do not start with 100% participation in eating the vegetables, but by years end everyone is usually on board". The students have also been introduced to crawfish farming and have a small tank in which they grow crayfish and rice. They are taught the importance of having oxygen in the water to keep the crayfish alive. They also have a mini wetland project which shows them the difference between brackish and fresh water and which vegetation best survives in these environments. They learn the impact coastal erosion has on Louisiana. In past years, students have grown wheat, oats, and sugarcane. They have been exposed to all the major crops grown in Louisiana. In addition, students and teachers integrate academic lessons into their gardening. They learn to chart plant growth and rainfall and they learn how to analyze these statistics. Each student has a journal and they are encouraged to record as much information as possible on a daily or weekly basis. This reinforces their writing skills and spelling. Students use math to learn how to calculate area and thus plant or seed spacing. Students have been exposed to the importance of photosynthesis, plant parts, changes in weather, and how each of these affect gardening and farming decisions. Students have been given several lessons on proper nutrition and eating healthy. Students learn to evaluate food for fat, sugar and acid content. Ms. Morgan has been teaching for 34 years of which 14 were at Charles Burke Elementary. Three other 4th grade teachers also participate in the Burke School Garden. They are Alyson Richard, Terry Richard and Rachael Richard. As recipient of the Louisiana Ag in the Classroom teacher, Ms. Morgan will receive a $500 cash award, an expense paid trip to the Louisiana Farm Bureau Convention in New Orleans, an expense paid trip to the National Ag in the Classroom Convention in Louisville, Kentucky valued at $1500 and an I Pad courtesy of Progressive Tractor and Implement. Veggie Bytes 6.1 Page 3

Glenda Dufreche and Claytonia Burns students planted tomatoes, kale, Swiss chard, lettuce, shallots, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, and hot peppers in 60 raised beds.

4 Ponchatoula High Horticulture Academy Spring Harvest Day What a great day in the classroom on May 17 and 18! Ponchatoula High School Horticulture Academy prepared fresh local grown vegetable smoothies, casserole, salad, and desserts. Mrs. Glenda Dufreche and Claytonia Burns students planted tomatoes, kale, Swiss chard, lettuce, shallots, zucchini, squash, cucumbers, and hot peppers in 60 raised beds. The project helped teach math, with students totaling purchases, making change, weighing vegetables and charting plant growth. Students were also taught about sustainable farming and healthy eating habits. Gardening activities were also tied into therapeutic exercises, earth science, and math. The youth made the transition from school to home when they took produce home and shared with the high school faculty and staff. Mrs. Kendra Keen, Peggy Poche, Pat Saucier, Kathy Babin, Glenda Dufreche and Nicollete Gordon assisted the students with preparing the vegetables. The SU Ag Center Youth Agent gave an update of the youth development programs. Mrs. Claytonia Burns food service class consists of 15 self-contained special education students. The students take an agriculture class in the morning where they learn how to grow vegetables and plant and take care of a 1/2 acre strawberry field. The students learn how to fertilize and harvest their gardens. They also care for animals such as chickens and goats. These same students take a food service class where the students learn how to prepare their harvests, luncheons for teachers, and Thanksgiving dinners for our special education offices in Hammond. They also cooked luncheons for different organizations in the area. Teaching youth to love their veggies doesn t necessarily start at the table, but from the ground up with tiny seeds in the earth. For more information, contact the St. Helena or Tangipahoa Extension Service, 305 E Oak St., Amite, call (985) , (225) , or Ahmad Robertson at ahmad_robertson@suagcenter.com Ponchatoula High Spring Garden Veggie Bytes 6.1 Page 4

Do It Yourself Garden Projects! Testing Soil ph Welcome back to school gardeners! It is time to prepare the garden and make sure the soil is ready to plant.

5 Do It Yourself Garden Projects! Testing Soil ph Welcome back to school gardeners! It is time to prepare the garden and make sure the soil is ready to plant. One of the most important factors in growing a garden is being aware of the soil s ph level. The ph of soil is an indication of the availability of nutrients to plants. The ph scale runs from Anything below 7 is considered acidic soil and anything above 7 is considered basic soil. Ideally your school garden s soil ph should be between to successfully grow most vegetable crops. Anything above this range or below this range can cause nutrient deficiencies or toxicities. Determining the soil ph can be a fun and educational activity for students! Follow the instructions below to accurately obtain the ph of your soil. Step 1. Find a shovel, bucket, glass jar (preferably with lid), a gallon of deionized water and pool ph test strips. Step 2. Collect 5-10 random samples of soil from your garden area. Make sure you dig about 6 inches into the soil. Digging deep is important because this represents the area where most vegetable roots grow. Step 3. Combine the 5 samples together in one bucket. Mix the samples up really well. Step 4. Bring the bucket into the classroom. Take a ¼ cup of soil from the bucket and place it in a jar. Now measure ¾ cup of distilled water and pour into the jar. Shake the sample up for at least 5 minutes. If your jar does not have a lid, stir the sample for 5 minutes. Step 5. Allow the soil to settle overnight. Step 6. Using a pool ph strip (Walmart supplies these) dip the ph strip into the water solution not touching the settled soil. Pull the strip out and match it to the associated color chart to determine your soils ph. Step 7. If your gardens soil is below 5.5 or above 7.0 call your local county agent for specific recommendations on adjusting the ph. If your soil falls within this range, begin planting! Growing Gardens! Kathryn Kiki Fontenot, PhD 155 JC Miller Hall Baton Rouge, LA William B. Richardson, LSU Vice President for Agriculture Louisiana State University Agricultural Center Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service LSU College of Agriculture Ahmad Robertson and Glenda Dufreche preparing zucchini and squash desert and salad The LSU AgCenter is a statewide campus of the LSU System and provides equal opportunities in programs and employment. Veggie Bytes 6.1 Page 5

Veggie Bytes. Neighbors Growing Schools

Veggie Bytes. Neighbors Growing Schools Veggie Bytes August October Volume 7 Issue 3 Neighbors Growing Schools What s Inside What s Growing 2 Recipe 2 Book Review and Activity 3 Magnolia Woods 4 Continued Magnolia Woods Elementary School students