This is how we feel when we think about spring….
Greg in the garden with the daffodils
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Here are some photos from the 721X Green Bronx Machine Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Wednesday. As you can see, it was kind of a big deal! Representatives from the Mayors Office, Empire Blue Cross and Anthem Health, local new organizations, our Superintendent, coaches, teachers, parents, students, and many more were in attendance. Thank you to Stephen Ritz of GBM, teacher (and farmer) extraordinaire Jeremy Kottcamp, and Principal Frank Degennaro for a very special day.
Read all about it below in an excerpt from urban ag news!
Press Release – NEW YORK – Green Bronx Machine (GBM), a nationally recognized non-profit organization dedicated to helping students live happier and healthier lives, is partnering with Empire BlueCross BlueShield (Empire) to launch [a fully] wheelchair accessible farm and teaching kitchen in America at P.S. 721x, a District 75 school in the Bronx dedicated to educating students living with disabilities.
“Our students and faculty are so excited and so grateful to Empire and Green Bronx Machine for this classroom makeover that inspires healthy living, healthy learning, and creates 21st century career and college readiness.”
~ Frank Degennaro, Principal, P.S. 721x
On Wednesday, February 13th, GBM and Empire will host a ribbon-cutting event at the school to unveil the new, in-school farm. In addition to the wheelchair accessible farm and teaching kitchen, P.S. 721x teachers and students will receive GBMs fully integrated health and wellness curriculum, a GBM Mobile Classroom Kitchen—a fully portable “indoor food truck” complete with sink, refrigerator, convection oven and food warmer and a media studio where students can participate in video conferences with other schools and organizations, post updates to social media, live stream educational programming and older students can record practice interview sessions.
Our own Bed Stuy Fresh garden at 373K got some love on Grow to Learn’s instagram page this week. Check it out!
Congratulations to all of the D75 schools that were chosen for the Grow to Learn and Office of Sustainability grants! This year 14 school gardens were funded through Grow to Learn and another 9 schools received Sustainability funds for projects including water bottle refill stations and environmental education programs. Way to go, D75!
Here is a photo of a flourishing indoor soil grow lab at 721Q. As you can see, they are growing both food and flowers- and the hyacinths smell amazing! This classroom also has a series of aquaponics stations with individual beta fish. Thank you teacher Julie Tuifel for the mini tour. We didn’t want to leave!
Some of us (ahem Greg) have been saying this for a while, but there are a lot of opportunities for learning Math in the garden! Here are some examples from NYBG of ways to integrate your Math instruction in the great outdoors. Or indoors. With hydroponics… or aquaponics.
There are two upcoming grants from the Office of Sustainability and DSNY/ The Citizens Committee for New York City that you should apply for! Details below…
Have you ever been to the Genovesi Environmental Study Center in Brooklyn? These D75 students have! They are participating in a six week study, making predictions, observations, and collecting data about aquaponic and hydroponic growing systems. They are also working the farm and hanging with the Turkeys in their spare time.
The Grow to Learn Mini Grant deadline is approaching. October 26 is the last day to submit your garden grant for $500-$2000. Don’t miss out!
D75 Plant Learn Grow 