Harvesting power of nature in school garden

We took a dozen students out to our garden at Myers Middle School on Wednesday to harvest collards, kale, Swiss chard, a few tomatoes, a couple of peppers, cucumbers, beans, some lettuce, basil, scallions and generally whatever could be found on this early October day. And the students returned quickly to their five family and consumer science (home economics) classes, where classmates and teacher Larry Drew set up for cleaning and preparing for cooking on Friday – and a bit of tasting at the same time.

This, we suspect, made learning feel especially meaningful for one class period of one day for most of about 90 students. This surely was experiential teaching and learning. We gave students close-up attention, which we know is valuable. And this is what we have in mind when we talk about harnessing the power of exposure to nature. Students appeared engaged both outdoors and back in the classroom.

Will reading and math scores rise next week as a result? Of course not. Can initiatives like Wednesday’s contribute to positive outcomes? Well, with research linking soaking up fresh air, real smells and the sight living plants to wellbeing piling up by the month, we think the answer is yes, over time, and probably especially so among students who have the fewest opportunities to relax in backyards, visit parks nearby or vacation at the seashore or in the mountains.

Did it take much to pull this off? Sort of: caring for a garden since the days warmed up last spring, building a team of both volunteers and very-part-time employees, cultivating relationships with community partners like Albany Medical College and the Honest Weight Food Coop, searching high and low for volunteers to help out with watering and bringing the same 90 students out the garden three weeks earlier to touch and taste everything we could offer.

And was it worth the effort? Or maybe rephrase, did we see a suitable return on investment? These are more difficult question to answer. The Vegetable Project can plant seeds in the thinking about meeting kids’ needs, but cannot alone cannot turn exposure to nature into broad-based, long-term, meaningful support for child and adolescent development. Maybe school districts can. Surely the prospects would be better if the state Education Department signaled some interest. Perhaps the thinkers in teacher preparatory programs could have some influence, if they thought we had a good idea here.

The day was certainly a wonderful one for all the adults involved. And as suggested a couple of paragraphs up from here, students appeared engaged, which feels like an important marker.

–Bill Stoneman

An invitation to a transfixing learning experience

We missed the photographic opportunity of the season the other day. Hours before capturing the beauty of two dozen sunflowers at our Albany High School garden on Tuesday, Sept. 17, scores upon scores of bees were buzzing around the giant yellow flowers pictured here. They must have finished their meals. We did not see many again after that glorious moment.

So, here’s how we want to ensure that we maximize the value of the moment 12 months from now: We would like to invite Albany High living environment teachers and environmental science teachers and, well, every other teacher who thinks this sounds worthwhile, to bring classes out to see and experience what we see and experience. And while we don’t want to sound like salespeople in this world who promise more than they can possibly deliver, we are pretty sure that substantial numbers of students will be transfixed, entranced and captivated in a way that doesn’t happen inside classrooms. Teaching opportunities – about plant life cycles or pollination of adaptation or interdependence – will abound. And with that experience, some of the hardest-to-reach students will be eager to learn.

Teachers will get a glimpse at what we mean when we talk about harnessing the power of exposure to nature.

But here is the catch: We need to hear from teachers who are interested well before mid-September 2025. We need to head into spring with some sense of how many classes with how many students we might host. We need to think about actually intentionally planting seeds, rather than hoping that seeds dropped by this year’s plants will produce what we need. We want to think about how we can support teachers in making this an amazing moment. We need to think about resources we might want to organize and perhaps offer. We need to plan how we can all move quickly when we see the moment developing.

And how can teachers reach us? Well, the best bet is to stop and say hello when we are out in the garden by the North Main Avenue entrance to school grounds. But please also drop an email to [email protected] or text 518-728-6799.

–Bill Stoneman

Planting flower bulbs supports hands-on learning

The Vegetable Project, in partnership with the wonderful Flower Power Fundraising company, is selling flower bulbs through Monday, Oct. 14. And we would be so grateful if you would take a look at the selection and consider buying a few bulbs. Please click here to find everything you need.

And why? Well, to contribute to our programs that create hands-on learning opportunities for Albany kids. And also, for all the pleasures in the world that come from planting bulbs or making them gifts for friends.

For example: The days will get shorter. And colder. Winter happens around here. Spring never comes as quickly as we’d like. Planting flower bulbs, however, helps us feel a bit better heading into the long chill. It gives us a great reason to stay outside in autumn’s cool days. And then, it will provide the first burst of color in your garden in the spring.

The Vegetable Project receives half of all proceeds raised by our sale of bulbs. And that means that you contribute to our  work at teaching kids where their food comes from. It means that you support outdoor instruction. It means that you help us make a difference with kids who benefit from doing and touching and tasting and experiencing. And so much more.

–Bill Stoneman

Leveraging learning experiences found in garden

The Vegetable Project builds teaching and learning around doing and touching and tasting and experiencing – all year long. In July and early August, it’s mainly in partnership with Albany’s Summer Youth Employment Program, an initiative that provides 14-to-18-year-olds with 100 Continue reading

Figuring out how hard it is to compost at school

We launched a pilot project on Tuesday, June 12, to explore the feasibility of scaling up some composting efforts in schools where we work by collecting fruit and vegetable scraps from student lunches. And wouldn’t you know, the Biden administration announced a new strategy the very next day for keeping edible food out of landfills.

Did word of our initiative reach Washington on the day it was Continue reading

Handy links to online watering schedule signup

We want to show volunteers – perhaps you – around before they start to water our school gardens this summer. But then we would be grateful if volunteers would use our online signup tool to let us know when we can plan around their commitment. Please click here to sign up to water at Albany High School. And please click here to sign up for Myers Middle School.

But please also reach out at [email protected], so that we can arrange to show you the ropes. And please know that you will be making a big difference when you take a couple of watering shifts beyond your orientation in this volunteer group’s ability to head into the new school year with gardens teaming with teaching and learning opportunities.

–Bill Stoneman

Outdoor classroom for its educational value

Imagine a middle school where teachers can offer classes a change of scenery, and especially a change that will bolster seriously valuable contact with nature. And imagine a school where a greenhouse, with space for visiting classes to work, is warm enough in January to nurture slow growth of leafy green vegetables. Where a fruit tree orchard beckons. And where bird, mammal and insect habitat transform Continue reading

Help with watering would make big contribution

Want to lend a hand in the Vegetable Project’s gardens on your own schedule? Won’t you please consider helping to water at Albany High School and/or Myers Middle School from now until early October. Claim a week. Or maybe a day of the week for the summer. Or days that work for you. Either way, you’ll make a big difference in this volunteer group’s ability to head into the new school year with gardens teaming with teaching and learning opportunities.

Please reach out at [email protected] to arrange a garden walkaround and to learn the ropes with one of our veterans. Or go ahead sign up for days at Albany High here and at Myers here. We will get in touch and plan to meet you to get you started. We won’t leave you alone until you are ready. But please understand, the contribution only begins to make a difference as you start working independently and reliably.

Many thanks for 14 years of great support for our efforts.

–Bill Stoneman

Won’t want to miss Evening in the Garden

The Vegetable Project’s seventh annual Evening in the Garden will be at Myers Middle School this year, on Tuesday, May 7 (rain date the following day, Wednesday, May 8). We sure are looking forward to showing you what is growing, sharing with you about our work to create hands-on learning opportunities, offering a few hands-on learning opportunities right there and introducing you to knowledgeable growers who are eager to share their expertise.

And there won’t be another party like this one until the spring of 2025 – at New Scotland Elementary School.

If that doesn’t sound like enough, you’ll also enjoy the fabulous sounds of the Albany High School Jazz Ensemble and sample tastes of some of the best food around, provided by Albany High School’s Career and Technical Education culinary program, Allie B’s Cozy Kitchen, Bountiful Bread, Caffe Italia Ristorante, Cardona’s Market, the Copper Crow, Dove and Deer, Honest Weight Food Co-op and Nicole’s Catering.

The bash is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the garden behind the school building.

We would be pleased if you would let us know that you are coming at Eventbrite or our Facebook event.

We would be grateful if you would stand up and be counted as a friend of our efforts to build teaching and learning around doing and touching and tasting and experiencing by becoming a member of the event’s honorary committee. We will include your name in an event program when you make a $25 contribution. Again, please visit Eventbrite.

–Bill Stoneman

Teaching and learning around endless plant lifecycle

Myers Middle School students scooped seeds from freshly plucked tomatoes last fall as we began another year of our afterschool Garden Club at the school. We followed instructions to ferment the seeds, dry them and then store them. Then, months later, a certain Vegetable Project volunteer dropped a handful of those seeds in a small container of potting mix and sat tight for nine days. Then, voila! Twenty or so tiny tomato plants pictured here.

It is so easy to germinate tomato seeds that this is almost cheating. But we have here the faint Continue reading