Teens Turning Green & The White House Organic Farm



photograph by Art Rogers/Point Reyes for Marin Organic

Two weeks ago I was invited to present The Miller Creek Edible Garden & Outdoor Kitchen project to the PROJECT LUNCH stakeholders meeting for TEENS TURNING GREEN. My dad held the pictures of the garden/plans while I talked about how it was going to help teach students about eating healthier, learn how to grow organic food, and  help fight childhood obesity. PROJECT LUNCH is an organization that is helping schools (and gardens!) in turning more green. The stakeholders talked about inspiring students and the community to improve the school lunch programs so that kids are making healthier choices, eating local produce, growing gardens, and reducing waste. My dad and I were asked to be in this photo of the group. Everyone there was very excited and wants to particpate in our garden once we are ready.

The White House

Last week I was in Washignton DC with my parents and went to see Mrs. Obama's organic garden on the front lawn of the White House. It was much, much smaller than I thought it would be. Here are some photos I took. Mrs. Obama's plan is for childern to learn more about nutrition and physical activity. Her plan is called "Let's Move!" and the garden is called " The White House Organic Farm." Our garden will also be about nutrition and we plan to help teach students about eating better and being healthier through nutrition and physical activity.



This is the organic garden on the White House south west lawn




The information sign about the garden



My Visit to Alice Waters Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Middle School

THE TOOL SHED AT MLK

I went to visit the Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, CA. This was the first Edible Schoolyard started by Ms. Alice Waters, who is one of the inspirations for my school's garden. Ms. Shaina Robbins who is their Program Coordinator gave my mom and me the tour.



THE GARDEN IS ON ONE EDGE OF THE CAMPUS

The garden was started twelve years ago by tearing out an asphalt patch of the school grounds and is one acre in size. It has a kitchen which is also a learning classroom. The students pick the produce they grow and fix a dish to share in the classroom.

THE ALICE WATERS PHILOSOPHY

The garden has a circular outdoor trellis amphitheater, lots of chickens, a pizza oven, a greenhouse, a tool shed, a rainwater harvesting cistern, and lots of flowers and vegetables. It has a compost area, a small pond, and a chicken coop. The 8th graders even get to harvest grains to make flour and then get to make a pizza for one of their lessons. Pizza...yum.


A FEW OF THE VEGETABLE ROWS



THE CIRCULAR TRELLIS AMPHITHEATER



THE PIZZA OVEN

A SUNFLOWER & BEE POLINATOR



THE GARDEN AND TEEPEE



THE CHICKENS WERE WALKING FREELY

 

Labor Day Weekend

painting crew getting started

This weekend we did a LOT of painting, digging and shoveling. On Saturday the paint crew did the first coats of paint to our shed/kitchen. We started flattening the ground with rakes and shovels. My dad used a trencher to dig the irrigation trenches. The trencher was donated for the weekend from Bobcat West, a Pape' Company. On Sunday one volunteer crew laid in the irrigation purple pipe, the 7th grade girls started putting in the gopher wire, while the 8th grade girls shoveled mulch into the garden from the mulch pile donated by Treemasters. On Monday the mulch was finished by some 9th graders, the irrigation lines were pressure tested and we leveled the planter box beds. All in all a very busy three days for the garden volunteers who came to work. Here is what it looked like:

6th grade boys

Audrey, Emma's sister helping us paint

my dad using the trencher to dig

the main trench line for our purple pipe right down the middle

Irrigation pipe going into trench

two  shots of the work crews

cutting gopher wire for planters

8th grade girls shoveled a lot of mulch on Sunday

Peyton, a 6th grader, worked hard this weekend

Peyton's brother Tristan and dad Marcus lining the planters

Tristan and Joe finishing the mulch with bobcat on Monday

PEETS @ Northgate donated the coffee this weekend again.

How the garden looked today after the long holiday weekend

Garden in Progress

our garden sign

The weekend of August 28 and 29 more volunteers came to help build the garden. One day was windy and one day was hot but we still got a lot done. The deer fence was finished, the long retaining wall planters were built, the gates were started, we leveled the dirt and backfilled, we prime painted the shed/kitchen and we started putting up the woolly pockets. Whew! Thank you to everyone who came to help out.

Mr. Johnson and Nick

Fan & Mei  leveling dirt at planter wall

group shot

starting the gates

more dirt moving

our shed painting crew

me installing woollys

clean up