Upcoming Events

School Garden Open House: September 21-25

Common Ground Country Fair: September 25-27 

Maine Farm to School Conference: October 16

Grants

Green Works Grant: September 30

The Flannel Shirt Fund: October 1, multiple

Plum $500 Youth Grants: Rolling

Digital Wish Grants: Monthly

RetreeUS: Rolling

Fruit Tree 101: Rolling

Let's Move! Salad Bars to Schools: Rolling

School and Community Garden Grants: Multiple

Facebook

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School Garden Open House

Consider planning a School Garden Open House Day with your garden committee, to be held sometime during Harvest Lunch Week, September 21-27.

Why should you hold an Open House?

• You can show off the hard work you put into your gardens this season.
• Kids can shine by giving tours, showing a video they made of the garden, leading a game or activity, etc.
• You can get publicity and support for your gardening efforts.
• It’s a good way to recruit volunteers for the school year.
• Holding it is a great school community activity.

Here are some things you can do during your Open House:

• Have food samples
• Take pictures to share with students, their families and staff members
• Have music or do an art project
• Ask your local paper to cover the event with a story and pictures
• Play garden related games
• Hold a raffle
• Decorate pumpkins
• Give tours
• Invite School Board members

Contact the Maine School Garden Network website for more ideas and resources at: www.msgn.org

August in the Garden

Your school garden will continue to need weeding, watering and harvesting of vegetables while students and staff or on vacation. Remember to consider donating summer produce to your local food pantry, summer volunteers and school families in need. Check outMaine Harvest for Hunger.

Consider purchasing or borrowing a scale to weigh harvested produce. Keep a record of what and how much you harvested throughout the rest of the season. Total your results and share them with your principal, food service, and school board. School systems love to save money and this may be a way to promote your school garden to those with the power of the purse. 

Be thinking of creative ways to promote a school garden coach, much like a sports coach. This is a garden coordinator position with a stipend. The coach would head up garden related curriculum, activities, volunteer opportunities, etc. and we’re promoting the concept at the Maine School Garden Network.

A couple of other things to consider prior to the 2015-16 school year are:

1. Plan a field trip to an agricultural fair (Such as the Common Ground Country Fair) or visit a local farm in your area.
2. Develop a garden volunteer role description so it’s clear to potential volunteers what your expectations are. A role description form and additional resources are available on our website here.

2015 Maine Farm to School Conference 

REGISTER HERE!

Parmesan Yogurt Dip with Carrots

Zesty dip turns carrots into something special. This is a great summer snack with any veggie. It uses only five ingredients and ten minutes of your time!

Click here to make it yourself!