In the Spirit of the Olympics

Fun Fact: Our blog currently contains 64 posts, not including this one.

Fun Fact: Since the first post over two years ago, our blog has had over 4,400 visitors.

Fun Fact: Between Terrence Parker, Kathy Gunst, Vicki Stewart, Nina D'Aran and Kate Smith, we've given well over 100 tours of the Outdoor Classroom.

Fun Fact: 86: The highest number of students Kathy Gunst has ever cooked with AT THE SAME TIME.

And finally, in the spirit of the Olympics: the top ten countries to visit our website, in order of the number of page views:

Another Successful Harvest

You'll have to use your imagination with this post... in my excitement I never took a photo! Last night Corinna Melino and her three children, Alayna, Serafina and James, helped harvest and sell this week's produce for the Hot Summer Nights Concert Series. They found several cucumbers and squash, dozens of beans, carrots of all sizes and colors, two varieties of kale and some rainbow swiss chard. If you would like to help harvest, we meet Thursdays at 5:30 PM at the hoop house behind Central School. We'd love to have you! The proceeds from our farmer's markets will go towards general upkeep and maintenance, such as seeds for our fall gardens!
     Wait! I also want to thank Will Lusenhop, Lisa Jones and their children Jack and Sophie for watering the hoop house this past week. We've had several families sign up to take either a week or weekend to water and help maintain our gardens. This has been so helpful, especially on those hot summer days! If your family is willing to help water for a week or weekend in August, please email Pauliina Pope at cesoutdoors@gmail.com, I believe we still have some openings!

Natives

What do you think of when you hear the word, "native"? I was recently on a road trip with my daughter, Mikayla, who loves to sketch. Soon after we drive past a sign for a farmer's market, she laughs under her breath and quickly begins to sketch. Looking down, I see she has drawn a plump tomato with a headdress made from basil leaves, wielding a somewhat crude hatchet. Apparently, it is her version of a "native" tomato. Laughter and fresh food.... they are both so very good for you. I was reminded this yet again at last Thursday's farmer's market in front of Central School. Kathy Adams and her son Liam met me at the hoop house, and we shared stories and laughs as we harvested beans, kale, swiss chard, mixed greens, cucumbers and blueberries. Every once in awhile Liam would let out a yelp, holding up a giant bean or bouquet of kale. We hauled our catch to the front of the school, setting up a table in a row with SOBO Central Lanternfest's table and the Hot Summer Nights' concession stand. Liam was kept busy selling produce. I think our favorite customer was second grade student, Adia, she sure likes cucumbers! We made $45, selling all but a few bags of dinosaur kale. Those went home and became kale chips for my own family! Are you sad you missed us? We'll be back every Thursday at 6:30 until the end of the Hot Summer Nights' Concerts. Music, laughter and fresh food... hmm.... makes sense to me!

What ever happened to...?

Hello friends! Remember those little seeds you so carefully tucked into a cup of dirt? Look what happened while we were away! While school has been out, volunteers have been tending, watering, weeding and keeping those pesky bugs away. Hard work pays off. Here are just a few of the fruits of our labor! If you were one of those volunteers, thank you!  Starting next Thursday, we will be selling some of the produce at the Hot Summer Nights Concerts in front of Central School at 6:30 PM. We will have kale, swiss chard, cucumbers and, if they are ready.... some squash! If that's too long to wait, no worries- we'll be selling kale at the hoop house for the Blossoms for Books Garden Tour on Saturday. Come on by! You can count the peaches on our tree and see the blueberries on our blueberry bushes, they are loaded!

Celebration Parade

     To celebrate the completion of the outdoor classroom, the school gathered in the gym to show their gratitude to Terrence Parker, the landscape architect who first envisioned the project. The students then held hands, leaving through the back of the gym and parading past the hoop house, around the field of wild flowers, through the wooded area, past the log teepee and student-made bridge, across the water garden,, weaving through the log walk, earthen berms, birch tree path and infinity walk before gathering around the outdoor amphitheater. The students were colorful in their rain boots and jackets. It had rained for three days straight, leaving the ground damp. The skies cleared in time for our parade, but a light rain fell upon us as we reached our final destination. The rain only added to the energy and excitement of the day.

This Land from Kate Smith on Vimeo.

Hoop House Salad on Field Day

Yum! As if Field Day wasn't fun enough, we once again added our hoop house salad to the day! Some classes harvested while others made the super yummy salad dressings (so good some wanted to drink it!) Many thanks to Pauliina Pope, Kelly Maddison, Corinna Melino, Nina D'Aran and Vicki Stewart for making it extra special!

Harvesting Pea Pods

Time to harvest those pea pods!