Chef Sam is Visiting! Volunteers Needed During Lunch on June 4

On Monday, June 4th, Chef Sam will be at Fort River for a special taste test of a brand new lunch menu item: Green Monster Pizza! This homemade pizza will be on the menu later in June, featuring pesto made using produce harvested from our school gardens. 

We would like to collect student feedback during the lunchtime taste tests, and are looking for volunteer support to help make this happen. Volunteering would entail being in the school cafeteria from 11am-1pm, working with Chef Sam to collect and record students' comments and opinions. Volunteers must have completed a CORI check with the school district. 

We hope to have the support of 2-4 volunteers. Interested individuals should contact Science & Garden Coordinator Jennifer Reese at reesej@arps.org.

Follow the ARPS Farm to School Movement at http://www.amherstfood.com/

Seeking Summer Garden Volunteers

Our elementary school gardens need your help to have a healthy summer growing season! 

Families are invited to join Leila Tunnell (Brookfield Farm educator) and Jennifer Reese (school garden coordinator) for an on-site garden volunteer training at your school this June. In the session (under an hour) you'll become familiar with the garden space, learn about the plants we're growing, and learn how to access and use the garden tools. As one of the garden caretakers last summer, I (Jennifer) can attest to the fact that the "work" is fun and kid-friendly. My then 4-year-old, 7-year-old, and I did all that we needed to do in 1-2 hours per week. Families who help care for the gardens are also welcome to harvest (conservatively) from the gardens as crops become ready.

Sign ups for summer weeks will take place at the orientation sessions. Volunteers will also be asked to sign a liability waiver, per district protocol.

Please RSVP here if you plan to attend a session so that we can plan accordingly. Thank you!

Orientation sessions: 

Crocker Farm: Saturday, June 3rd, 10-11 am

Fort River: Sunday, June 4th, 10-11 am

Wildwood: Sunday, June 4th, 1-2 pm

​Questions or comments? Please contact Jennifer Reese (reesej@arps.org) or Leila Tunnell (ltunnell18@gmail.com).

GARDEN HELP NEEDED: Request for Volunteers

A request for volunteers from Jennifer Reese, Science Coordinator & Resource Teacher, Amherst Public Schools, 413-362-1897

GARDEN HELP NEEDED:

At Wildwood, volunteers are needed to help weed the garden beds and compost the weeds. Volunteers would work with small groups (2-3 children) at at time, meeting with several groups over the course of a 45-60 minute period. Contact Lisa Poirer (poirierl@arps.org) if interested.

At Fort River, volunteers are needed to help revitalize the pollinator garden. This will involve weeding, trimming plants, cleaning out debris, adding fertilizer, and spreading wood chips. Contact Jane Costello (costelloj@arps.org) if interested.

School Garden Tour on May 31 at 5:15pm

Please join us for an informal PGO meeting/tour/party in the school garden on May 31 at 5:15pm.  Our special guest Jane Costello will give a tour of the garden along with a brief description about how it is being used in school. The tour with be followed by a Question and Answer and brainstorming discussion about how families can enjoy and enhance the gardens.  

There are seeds available for planting and a sign up sheet will be circulated for those who would be willing to water and weed existing crops (only a few) over the summer. In addition, space is available for families to plant summer crops in the raised beds for their own use.  

If there is enough interest, a garden support committee of families would be extremely helpful to work with Ms. Costello in an extended collaboration to maintain and improve this incredible resource for our students and staff.

To learn more about the curriculum used in conjunction with the garden, please click to read the ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst report titled "Hope in School Gardens: The Amherst School Gardens Project." 

Here is an excerpt from the report, titled “Putting the Garden to Bed":

“As the winter winds come swooping in and the days are getting shorter, everyone was excited to get back into the garden at Fort River on one of the last warm days of the year, November 5th. The UMass Sustainable Food and Farming crew, along with Ms. Monica Bhomik’s second grade class, had such a fun time talking about one of our favorite foods: garlic! After discussing the strong, pungent, and sweet flavors garlic can have, the kids told us the foods they like with garlic in them, some of their favorites being pizza, garlic bread, stir fry, and spaghetti. Then we spoke about how garlic has a family just like the second graders do: the Allium family, which includes shallots, leeks, and onions to name of few. These related plants smell and taste much alike, and also grow in a similar way.” 

Bring the kids! They can play on the playground or pick weeds. We hope to see you in the gardens!