REGISTER TODAY!

A FUN filled day of workshops and networking for School Garden enthusiasts and educators will be hosted by Maine School Garden Network (MSGN) and Maine Agriculture in the Classroom (MAITC). Whether your dreaming of starting an educational garden or working to develop an existing program... this day is for you!

 

SNEAK PEEK!
See the full agenda and session descriptions HERE.

All participants will receive Certificates for contact hours or CEU’s. The cost for the day is $30 ($40 after April 20) and includes local foods lunch. Pre-registration is required to claim your spot!

For more information:

• Register online here.

• To register by mail, download a copy of the registration form here.

• Stay connected leading up to the event via Facebook here.

• Scholarships are available through MAITC.

Please email info@msgn.org for more information.
We look forward to seeing you there! 

Pleased to Meet You!

School Garden of the Month -
*REVISITING* Albert S. Hall
Waterville, Maine      

In the city of Waterville, something beautiful continues to grow! One of the most inspiring examples of how dedication, resourcefulness and a commitment to students and community can lead to 100% school participation and year round involvement - the garden program at Albert S. Hall School!

Since our last feature in December of 2016, the garden has transformed and program has flourished with new and creative ways to keep students engaged in healthy eating and garden education. The program is lead by Mary Dunn, a 5^th grade teacher and Emily Dufford their FoodCorps Service Member – a duo with a contagious enthusiasm for their students and program. (For this reason, I have been known to refer to them as School Garden Celebrities ;) )

Out on the blacktop, with help from FoodCorps members and the community, they have transformed their garden into a peaceful and creative space filled with trellises, raised beds, planting barrels, benches, a compost bin and a new greenhouse. It is a beautifully creative and unexpected space which grows tomatoes, corn, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, garlic, lettuce, spinach, herbs, rice (YES RICE - more about this later), and flowers. The produce is used in the cafeteria and for educational programming and the occasional snacking from students on the nearby playground. The garden space layout is open to student experiences and play, students love to use the bench, and play hide and seek in between the beds. Since the school is almost entirely surrounded by pavement, the garden also helps keep the area cooler.

The garden is primarily used by the after school Sprout Scouts members and 8 classrooms have classroom gardens/grow labs that they plant, tend, and harvest from. All classrooms participate somehow in the garden, whether it's reading outside, helping plant and tend the garden, or harvesting and eating produce! Schoolwide and year round garden education and healthy eating is facilitated inside with an aeroponic grow tower, two grow labs, and 8 classroom grow labs/classroom gardens. Throughout the summer, family and community volunteers tend the garden and are able to take produce home as a reward for their dedication.
The greatest challenge for their program is funding and engaging involvement of more teachers to care for the garden - common themes for school gardens with busy teachers and tight budgets. At Albert S. Hall, they derive support from the community, FoodCorps and maximize funding opportunities with organizations such as SeedMoney. It is no secret that what Albert S. Hall lacks in resources it more than makes up for in heart!

Because of their inspiring work, they were chosen to participate in 2017 as one of 12 New England schools in a year-long educational development opportunity with Farm to School Institute and visit Shelburne Farms in Vermont. Read more about that here. Additionally, they have taken on new challenges and opportunities such as successfully growing rice in the middle of the city and other award winning vegetables entered in the School Garden Grown Program at several agricultural fairs. The rice won second place last year at Common Ground Fair for the Grain Restoration category – how cool! Once again proving that with heart and dedication you can grow anything at Albert S. Hall School!

To keep up with their program, follow them on Facebook – you’re sure to be inspired!
Want to learn more about how to grow rice at your school and the School Garden Grown Program? Come hear Mary’s talk and gather information from Wild Folk Farms and MSGN at Maine School Garden Day.  

WANTED 2018 School Garden of the Month!
 Please email us and let us know that you would like to be one of our School Gardens of the Month.

Plant Something Educational Collaborative