At Myers Middle School.
A big challenge in school gardening in this part of the world is winter. Children are at their desks, but the soil is frozen. Thus, we are please to report great help that the Whole Kids Foundation is offering us to build a workaround.
As part of an annual school gardening Continue reading
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Posted in Four-season growing, Greenhouses, Planting, School garden, Uncategorized
We told you a week ago that you can plan your garden around High Mowing Organic Seeds and support the Vegetable Project at the same time. We have gone one step better alre
ady.
We are now offering an online path to buying seeds in addition to the old-fashioned paper order forms and checks path. A wide variety of individual packs of seeds are available Continue reading
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Posted in School garden, Uncategorized
The grounds around Buckingham Pond, maybe a mile and a half from Albany High School, aren’t kept as tidy as we once expected our public parks to be. And with good reason, as explained on the sign in the first accompanying photograph. All the sculpting and groomi
ng and lawn-mowing we subject hill and dale to in parks and office campuses and at golf courses and schoolyards destroy habitat that plants and animals depend on. And diverse populations of flora and fauna actually are good for the health of our communities and maybe even the sustainability of life on this planet.
So here’s a thought: If Albany’s Department of General Services can take the long Continue reading
Comments Off on Undeveloping school grounds to teach about nature
Posted in Science, Teaching, Uncategorized
The days are getting longer. Pitchers and catchers have reported for spring training. And the tastes of freshly picked peas, lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes and so 
much more will soon be on your table — if you start planning your garden now with High Mowing Organic Seeds. Better yet, you can contribute to school gardening in Albany as you plan that garden by buying seeds from the Vegetable Project, which receives a portion of all sales. Continue reading
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Posted in School garden, Teaching, Uncategorized
Cover crops are catching on in grain-growing regions. So considerable is the trend that the New York Times reported on it in a front-page story in Sunday’s business section. Kinda surprising that the article didn’t mention that we have been dabbling with cover crops at Myers Middle School and Albany High School. 
But it still serves as a helpful reminder that this is a subject worth considering for a moment.
So first, what the heck are cover crops? In short, cover crops are plants whose purpose on the farm has more to do with protecting Continue reading
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Posted in School garden, Science, Soil, Teaching, Uncategorized
We are pleased to note reaching a pair of milestones in the life of the Vegetable Project: We have incorporated, formally establishing our status under New York state law as a nonprofit organization. And the Internal Revenue Service has recognized our qualification for tax-exempt status.
In simplest terms, this means that you can now deduct contributions to the Vegetable Project from taxable income. Thus, we ask you to consider supporting our efforts financially. And we’re making it easy. Just click on the donate button at https://vegetableproject.org and put your contribution on your credit card.
Tax-exempt – or 501c3 – status should also make it easier to pursue grant Continue reading
Posted in School garden, Teaching, Uncategorized
Harvesting is probably the biggest hit among things we do with middle school kids. And that’s probably not too surprising. Finding beans or ground cherries hiding in the foliage and popping a few in the mouth without even washing them is more fun, in the view of many 12-year-olds, than pulling weeds or cultivating soil or raking compost. Too bad so much grunt work is necessary before the fun Continue reading
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Posted in School garden, Teaching
Raising a garden, preparing food with the plants that we grow and creating hands-on learning opportunities with gardens and the food that we grow are labor-intensive 
activities. Thus, we are grateful for, and really depend on, all the participation in our efforts that we can muster.
Here are some of the many ways you can participate and contribute:
up. We will be making our next submission in late October.Comments Off on Many ways to participate and contribute
September 16, 2015 in School garden, Teaching, Uncategorized
The question that arises again and again as we build beds at Albany High School is roughly this: Aren’t you worried that disrespectful kids will trample whatever you try to grow?
The beds near the North Main Avenue entrance to the school grounds, across from the Albany Youth Soccer fields, are quite exposed. Beyond squirrels, however, they have drawn no unwanted attention in their first year. No
w we are setting up closer to the building, by the phys ed parking lot. The shortest distance between two points that students could visit might be right through our cabbage.
So to address the recurring question: Without a doubt, something frustrating and annoying definitely could happen. Students or other kids can be disrespectful (same could be said for full-fledged adults). On the other hand, maybe we can foster respect for surroundings and care for a community by building something worthy of respect and care and then make every effort to tell all those suspicious youths under 90 or so that these garden beds belong to them. In other words, rather than conveying expectations that they’ll disappoint again, give our friends an opportunity to live up to the great things we expect of them.
Isn’t that what teaching is all about? Any harm in trying?
—Bill Stoneman
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Posted in School garden, Teaching, Uncategorized
Another school year is winding down. But plants have little regard for the school calendar. So we keep going in our school gardens.
Garden Club at Myers Middle School continues on a summer schedule, as it has each year since 2011. We will gather on Tuesday evenings at 6 p.m., starting on June 23. Please join us once, once in a while or all summer long. Get your hands dirty. Learn. Share.
And we have exciting plans at Albany High School, where we have been building Continue reading
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Posted in Four-season growing, School garden, Teaching
Strut your stuff in a stylish Vegetable Project T-shirt for $15. It's a great way to show you support creating hands-on learning opportunities for Albany kids.