- Author: Susana C. Bruzzone-Miller
Second graders-175 in all, from Sycamore Canyon School in Thousand Oaks gave the 4-H Classroom Outreach lesson rave reviews last week. "Farmers" Jim and Joanne Abing, our UC volunteer team, provided lively presentations to each of the seven classes that rotated through for a morning of fun and learning! The lesson aligns with education in the classroom as well as in the school garden and includes-plant cycle, edible plant parts, pollination, and the importance of healthy eating. Classroom outreach lessons (K-5th grades) will be delivered at different Ventura County school sites each Wednesday throughout the spring.
- Author: Susana C. Bruzzone-Miller
Twenty 7th and 8th graders from Balboa Middle School are enrolled in the 17-week after-school program. Activities are led by Food Corps member, Chris Massa, currently serving with Ventura Unified where he supports the Farm to School work.
The experiential learning format of the student farm consists of a short lecture followed by hands-on practice. Weekly topics include Ventura County agriculture, food safety, soils, irrigation, plant biology, integrated pest management, seeds, sustainable food systems, nutrition and cooking. Students participate in monthly field trips to local farms and Ag related businesses to gain a better understanding of agriculture and career opportunities. Produce grown on the student farm will be sold back to Balboa's cafeteria to be used in the salad bar. Some will be donated to Food Share, a local food bank. Any subsequent profit will be used to support the program.
The students participated in all aspects of the farm from laying down irrigation to weeding the rows. Some of the January plantings are ready and the students proudly harvested and delivered 60 pounds of radishes and 7 pounds of cilantro to the school cafeteria. Ten pounds of radishes were harvested and donated to Food Share. This week student will continue harvesting spinach and cilantro.
- Author: Susana C. Bruzzone-Miller
Last week's much needed rain helped our field trip garden and rye maze double in size...just in time for today's spring education and outreach season kickoff. The garden isn't the only thing that's growing. Our education volunteer pool has also grown. Winter volunteer recruitment was very successful. We welcome six amazing new volunteers that have now completed the application, orientation and training process. They are ready to start working with students and we are excited to have them on board.
Dr. Roslynn Brain, Assistant Professor and Sustainable Communities Extension Specialist from Utah State University will be at the Center March 17-19. She will conduct a 3 day train the trainer workshop for her sustainability youth camp called Sustainable You.The program is geared grades 4-6. Our new intern, Chris Massa, will deliver the week-long camp at the Center summer 2014. The training is open to RECs, 4H and community partners. Contact sbmiller@ucanr.edu to attend.
Preparations are under way for May 8th UCCE-Ventura County: A Celebration of Science and Service. Self-guided activities...preschool to adult will be available throughout the day at HAREC. All participants will also be encouraged to participate in a state-wide research opportunity to collect data using the computer application developed by the Centennial committee. The central themes will be water, food, and pollinators. More details to follow, stay tuned.
- Author: Susana C. Bruzzone-Miller
Atlanta-based Captain Planet Foundation (CPF) has run a school garden program in the Metro Atlanta area since 2009. Last Friday, the nonprofit took the program on the road and delivered one of the first teacher workshops outside their home base. Led by Kyla Van Deusen, garden educator, CPF conducted a two-day training at HAREC. CPF is partnering locally with Food for Thought Ojai and organic compost company Agromin, to help install and maintain educational gardens at six Ventura County schools. Thirty educators participated in the training that covered how to create, sustain, and use gardens to teach environmental science.
The teachers also learned how to use cooking and taste testing in the garden to reinforce nutrition, math, science, and language arts principles and vocabulary. CPF provided curriculum for K to third grades as well as cooking carts filled with basic tools to help teachers easily integrate the program into their garden classrooms. Captain Planet executive director, Leesa Carter-Jones explained that lessons and exposure to garden based learning will help students connect where and how food grows, local agriculture, and help develop a palate for fresh fruits and vegetables.
For more information:Captain Planet Foundation
- Author: Susana C. Bruzzone-Miller
University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources celebrates 100 years of UC Cooperative Extension researchers and educators living and working in communities to solve economic, agricultural, natural resource, youth development, and nutrition issues.
On Wednesday, January 29th, UCCE Ventura will host a special celebration. The event will feature Ventura County Farm Advisors as we look back, celebrate the present and envision the UCCE of the future. Rose Hayden-Smith will provide the historical backdrop while Oleg Daugovish, Ben Faber, and Jim Downer will touch on pertinent topics such as cropping systems, water issues, environmental horticulture-exotic pests. Guest speakers will round out the program. A panel comprised of local farmers, community, UC, and education professionals will entertain questions as they look towards the future.
The Centennial Event will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott in Oxnard. Program details are attached.
2014 Agenda