Leadership
Buzz Ritchie
Team Chairs
Education: Ted Kirchharr
Environment: Dr. Enid Sisskin
Health: Dr. Debra Vinci
Poverty: Tim Evans
Sponsors
Partners
212 individuals
70 Organizations
7 Sponsors
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School/Community Gardens |
Chair: Sarah Bossa sarah@mannafoodpantries.org
School Garden Action Team Meeting
December 2, 2010
New Orleans Field Trip
The New Orleans trip was a success. There were 40 people in attendance to visit two school garden programs including The Edible Schoolyard at Samuel J. Green Charter School and Our School at Blair Grocery. As a result of the inspiration found on the trip, one teacher at OJ Semmes has already created colorful signs for their garden. All attendees completed impact surveys after the trip. If you are interested in gaining information from these surveys, please contact Sarah Bossa.
School Garden Reports
OJ Semmes: Has created a wish list of items for their garden to include in-ground irrigation, compost tumblers, rain barrels, large trellis and fruit trees (mini orchard). If you or someone you know is interested in donating any or all of these items, please contact Sarah Bossa.
Oakcrest: Food Services is sourcing local produce to match what is being grown in the garden. When students harvest collard greens, the whole school gets to eat collard greens the next day, and they know that some of the greens grew in their garden.
CA Weis: Four 4x8 beds have been constructed out of landscape timbers. The garden is in a visible location behind the gym.
New Meeting Time
The School Garden Action Team has decided to restructure their meetings to involve more school staff members. The meetings will now be held the second Wednesday of the month at 3:30. The location will rotate to allow members the opportunity to visit school gardens around the area and share ideas. The next meeting will be January 12, 2011 at 3:30 at Oakcrest Elementary School.
The Health Solutions Team School Garden Initiative got selected as the project for the 2011 Leadership Pensacola Class. LeaP hopes to work with the team to build six new gardens in Escambia County.
Work is on-going. Please contact Sarah to volunteer!
Pictures
Look how this empty space was transformed into a garden.
Oakcrest Elementary School
Did You Know?
Community gardens:
- Improve the quality of life for people in the garden
- Provide a catalyst for neighborhood and community development
- Stimulate social interaction
- Encourage self-reliance
- Beautify neighborhoods
- Produce nutritious food
- Reduce family food budgets
- Conserve resources
- Create opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education
- Preserve green space
- Create income opportunities and economic development
- Provide opportunities for intergenerational and cross-cultural connections
Explore Community Gardens
- Local Map of community gardens (add your garden!)
- See how much money your garden will save you.
- Grants are available to promote wellness through gardening.
- Great gardening tips and ways to start your own garden.
- Start and sustain an educational school garden.
- Even more tips and a calendar of upcoming statewide seminars, find one near you.
- Gardening is good...but losing weight while gardening?...now that's what the health solutions team is all about.