Check out the amazing Stephen Ritz in this NPR segment called How a Great Teacher Cultivates Veggies (And Kids) in the Bronx.  Go Steve!!

Last week, PLG visited NYC’s first Net Zero School, PS 62, The Kathleen Grimm School for Leadership and Sustainability at Sandy Ground. It was awesome! We saw bikes that generate power for the building, nearly 2,000 solar panels, and green technology used in lighting and classrooms that we have never seen before . The building even uses geothermal wells for heat and AC. In case you are wondering, “net zero” means that the school will produce as much energy as it uses. Big thanks to Principal Lisa Sarnicola for showing us around.

Plant Learn Grow would like to congratulate Mr. Ketler Louissaint on his new position as Superintendant IA for District 75. Mr. Louissaint has been a strong supporter of our schools’ gardening efforts for a long time. We hope he’s not too busy to plant with us again this spring!

Big things are happening at 133K, where our 369K students are involved in the construction of brand new beds for the spring. The former container garden is getting a hefty makeover. We can’t wait to see it in bloom.

Check out these photos from a late season harvest at 373K in Bushwick, Brooklyn last week! They are still growing eggplant, kale, callaloo, chard, peppers, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, and more. Amazing!

This is a reminder that the deadline for GrowNYC’s  mini-grant is April 23, 2014. Kudos to Marie Yip at 751M for winning a grant!

Grow to Learn is pleased to announce a Spring 2014

Growing and Learning Together Grant

10 Grow to Learn-registered gardens in the South Bronx, Central Brooklyn, and East and Central Harlem* are eligible to receive $1,000 towards garden supplies and materials!  What’s required to be in the running?  See our grant guidelines below.

To qualify for the Growing and Learning Together Grant, schools must complete the following by Wednesday, April 23^rd :

• Submit a paragraph explaining how your school would use $1000 for its garden.
• Attend two GreenThumb workshops.
• Connect with other NYC school gardens by participating in a partnership-building phone call with another school gardener.
• RSVP to the Grow to Learn School Garden Social in your neighborhood!

Interested in participating?  Learn more and get started here!

Winners of the 2014 Growing and Learning Together Grant will be announced at the School Garden Socials!  Checks must be made out to your school or school PTA and winning schools will receive their checks at the School Garden Social in their neighborhood.

*These areas were selected because they have been designated as priorities for NYC’s Department of Public Health with offices established to target resources and promote health equity and reduce health disparities.

Everybody is getting into local vegetable gardening. This article shows how first lady Michelle Obama tends her home garden (aka, the White House garden!) with students from local schools. Note the raised beds and the regional crops (Lincoln Oats and Paw Paws) she is growing.

I am not familiar with FoodCorps (read the article), but sounds like something to look into for our schools.

Leave It Better is an organization that helps schools grow food and helps kids to teach others about gardening through video storytelling. They are partnered with many NYC groups and programs, such as Grow to Learn, New York Botanical Garden, Bronx Green Up, NYC Compost Project, and Bronxworks. In addition, Leave it Better provides HD cameras for students to document their learning and work.

Check out our students from from P94M, featured in our gardeners on the Leave It Better website.

Plant-Learn-Grow went to the Union Square Greenmarket! Four classes from 17x brought their students to take an educational field trip to learn about where our food comes from and why it is important to buy local food. Besides learning where our food come from, the students got to try butternut squash with rosemary and learned that there are such things as PURPLE CARROTS!

At the end of the trip, each class was given some “Greenmarket Bucks” to spend on yummy food to bring back up to the Bronx.

Hi Everyone.  Here’s a cool resource and book list about food and nutrition for elementary aged children.  You can also find it in the Resources tab above along with lots of other great tools! Next week, not one, not two, not three, but FIVE schools are going on tours to their local greenmarkets. We can’t wait to see their pics and hear all about it.  Have a great weekend!