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Greetings!
We're glad you're here.
If you are interested in more information on food education or school gardens, we welcome you to visit our website:
or contact us:
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ESY STATS
2012-13 SCHOOL YEAR
Students Reached: 1,361
Student Hours in the Garden: 206
Student Hours in the Classroom: 251
ESY QUOTE
OF THE MONTH
"I just wanna GARDEN!"
-Student on the playground looking fondly at Farmer Molly in the school garden
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ESY CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE MONTH
 Compost Stew
by Mary McKenna Siddals
"From eggshells to wiggly worms, this delightful recipe in bouncy verse features items-some familiar and some not so-that are fit for the home compost bin and will nourish Mother Earth. Vibrant collage illustrations use recycled and found materials to further a timely message. And to keep young environmental chefs fully informed about composting do's and don'ts, there's a note in the back about what's not fit for the bin."
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Join, Support and Learn with
Grow Pittsburgh!
Check out some of our upcoming events, opportunities and resources:
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This month's Let Us Eat dinner in support of Grow Pittsburgh is at Tender Bar and Grill. Join us!
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Community Garden Exchange Workshop Series
Interested in learning more about the how's and why's of planting, pruning, garden maintenance and harvest? This free workshop series allows participants to actively participate in workshops with knowledgable teachers from Pittsburgh.
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The Urban Harvester:
Cooking with Green Garlic
Each week, Grow Pittsburgh's Director of Agricultural Production, Susanna Meyer, shares her knowledge of urban growing, harvest and eating!
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Snow and Sugar Snap Peas
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The snow-covered Colfax Elementary garden in Squirrel Hill.
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Our extended Pittsburgh winter has lengthened our indoor garden planning lessons -- but that hasn't stopped Garden Educators from finding a few decent days to till the soil and plant a couple cool-season crops with eager classes.
We are so happy Spring is finally here! We'll be celebrating the end of Winter, this Sunday at the Wake Up the Garden event at Colfax. See details about this event and updates on our partner schools below!
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Pittsburgh Montessori (Friendship)
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Happy to be removing straw from our garden beds in preparation for spring.
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We finally made it back into the garden this March at Pittsburgh Montessori! As we bundled up and braved the wind, we investigated what was still alive in our garden beds. We found garlic and carrots that overwintered underground, and perennials like thyme, sage, grapes, and raspberries (yum!). After we determined what we were starting the season out with, we tilled our garden beds, breaking up clods of soil and mixing in compost. We finished this month by planting sugar snap peas and broadcasting cover crop crimson clover!
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Pittsburgh Faison (Homewood)
 | | This Steelers fan is using The Garden Claw to till the soil in the pea bed. |
At Faison this March, we prepared for planting. We finished our investigation of seeds, learning about what grows above the soil once our seeds germinate, or start to grow. Then we learned more about plant spacing with our "carpet gardening" activity. Can your student describe to you how we planned out our garden bed of carrots, leeks, broccoli, and tomatoes? Do we put the tallest plants closest to or farthest away from the sun in the south of the sky? After we understood where to put our plants in our garden beds, we went outside and tested out our skills by planting sugar snap peas!
Coming up at Faison, a Positive/Lion incentive event with a tasty and healthy dinner and fun gardening activities! April 25th, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Hope to see you there!
-Farmer Courtney
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The Environmental Charter School (Regent Square)
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All hands on deck.
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Spring has come and I've returned to the 3rd grade. We've been busy studying what effect the weather has on plants: how plants know when to grow, and how we can figure out when to start them. Following an old tradition of planting after St. Patrick's day, we've begun many of our spring crops. Now, we watch in curious and eager anticipation as the first seedlings appear, and we wait the day to harvest them for our first spring salad.
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Pittsburgh Colfax ALA (Squirrel Hill)
 | | "I found a worm, Farmer Jim!" |
This Sunday, April 7th, is Colfax's Wake Up the Garden Event! To kick-off the spring season, come join us in celebrating our Colfax Garden. This Colfax community and family-fun event will feature seed planting, worm-bin exploration, yummy garden snacks, cooking demos by a local chef, live music, hula hooping, nature activities and more. As part of the event, students will be guiding families in garden tours. Come one, come all! This Sunday, April 7th, 2-4pm. Rain (in the Colfax gym) or shine (outside by the garden).
-Farmer Jim
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Pittsburgh Dilworth (Highland Park)
 | | Tilling at Dilworth |
With the arrival of spring, I've finally had the pleasure of working with the first grade classes at Dilworth. We spent our first class learning how to be "star" farmers, and ways to use our garden tools safely. We have been eager to get outside in the garden, but this never-ending winter weather has kept us in the classroom. We will be more than ready to get outside after spring break, as we practiced plant spacing inside! After constructing a garden bed with tape on the classroom floor, we designed a garden with a variety of different vegetables, paying attention to things like sun exposure and root depth.
While the students are on spring break, I've been getting the garden ready for their arrival. I've planted sugar snap peas to make sure they will be ready to harvest before the end of the schoolyear. I've also been working on tilling the beds, incorporating compost, and seeding crimson clover - one of the loveliest cover crops. I can't wait to do these projects with the first graders! I'm also looking forward to a fun field trip with the Green Team at the end of April, and continued work with their biome projects. Finally, I've begun planning Spring Garden Night on May 23! Mark it on your calendars! (rain date: May 30). I'm very excited for a wonderful spring celebration in the garden with all of the Dilworth community.
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The Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Charter School
(East Liberty)
 | | Team work makes quick work! |
The third and fourth grades at ULGPCS are in the full swing of their spring garden lessons. The fourth graders have learned all about the needs of seeds to germinate, as well as for seedlings and plants to continue to grow. Be sure to ask your student the three things required for seed germination, and how they are different from a mature plant's needs! We were lucky enough to have one sunny day to get outside in the garden. The students prepared two of our garden beds by removing the winter mulch, incorporating compost, and tilling the soil. We're keeping our fingers crossed for some nice weather in the next few weeks so classes can participate in preparing the other beds and planting our spring crops.
We have changed the date for Earth Day at ULGPCS! Our Earth Day celebration will be taking place on Wednesday, May 1. Every student will be participating in the day's activities. We will be painting a mural in the garden space, and performing a variety of garden maintenance and improvement projects. We are looking for volunteers to help manage students and oversee the logistics of the day's activities. We will also be having a cook-out for which we are looking for contributions of picnic-style lunch items. If you are interested in getting involved, please email me at molly@growpittsburgh.org. I'm looking forward to a fabulous spring with the Urban League scholars!
-Farmer Molly
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ESY PGH Recipe of the Month
Chili-Honey Vinaigrette
::created for a kale salad with golden raisins, feta, barley and roasted beets::
 Ingredients: Shallot 1/4 cup minced Garlic 1 teaspoon minced Dijon 1/4 cup Chili Powder 1 1/2 Honey 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar 1 cup Canola Oil 1.5 cup Olive Oil 1.5 cup Salt 2 tablespoons (and to taste) Black pepper to taste
Process:
Combine shallot, salt, and rice vinegar in mixing bowl. Stir and allow to sit for 10 minutes.
Add garlic, Dijon, chili, honey, and whisk together.
Slowly drizzle in canola, whisking constantly to create emulsion.
Repeat with olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Note:
Important to season aggressively at beginning as salt will not dissolve in oil.
who will be joining us at Wake Up the Garden!, Colfax's garden event this sunday!
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Edible Schoolyard Pittsburgh at the Farm to Table Conference
The Farm to Table Pittsburgh Conference was held on Friday, March 22 - Saturday, March 23 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center Downtown. Edible Schoolyard Pittsburgh was pleased to be among the organizations invited to present a workshop on Friday. Staff members Jake Seltman (Director of Educational Programing) and Maria Bowman (Edible Schoolyard Program Manager) presented How to Start a School Garden Program to a group of interested local teachers, parents and food education advocates.
A portion of the proceeds from Friday evening's Local Food Tasting at the conference was donated to Grow Pittsburgh. Thank you, Farm to Table Pittsburgh, for your generosity and a great conference!
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Happy Spring! May April bring warm sun and new growth for you and your family.
-The Edible Schoolyard Pittsburgh team
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