The newest opportunity from the Iowa Farm to School & Early Care Coalition is coming soon! We’ve enjoyed being a part of this group as it grows and offers more resources for area schools and communities. I’m proud to say that I’ll be working more closely with them this year, serving as Co-coordinator with Suzy Wilson of the Iowa Department … Read
We’re Gardeners!
That’s what my four-year-old granddaughter says as we plant fall crops. I always tell folks who work with kids in gardens, it’s not about the plants. It’s about the kids.
Connecting Kids and Healthy Food
How much do you love healthy, local food? How hard do you have to work to find it and get it to your table? How important is it to you to have your kids eat healthy food that’s grown close to where you live?
Get Kids Moving
The outdoors is the best place to be as we fight Covid-19 and experience the beauty of fall. Don’t miss the opportunity on warm days for water play, bike rides, creek walking and neighborhood mapping. Go ahead and get lost!
Learning in the Garden–Lessons & More
Mapping skills, experiments, graphs, and life cycles. The lessons in this post take you through the whole garden year, from planning and planting, to caring for and harvesting in the garden.
Plant a Garden
I’m gardening with the Earth Heroes from Carver Community School‘s Boys and Girls Club this season. When I first saw how little these mostly second graders are, I thought there’s no way they can farm the 20 raised beds at the Des Moines Botanical Center. But Jose sums it up–“Miss Martha, when I’m special, I work really hard.” And the … Read
Iowa Farm to School Conference
We came together in search of a common goal–feeding our children fresh, healthy food. And we believe that goal can best be accomplished by promoting farm-school partnerships.
Cool as a Cucumber
And now you know that “cool as a cucumber” really IS cool–20 degrees cooler than the temperature outside the cucumber. This made cucumbers the perfect STEAM snack on a hot Iowa day!
Calling All Teachers
Teachers ask me how people have time to bring Farm to School initiatives into the classroom. We all know how busy teachers are. Lucky for us, Farm to School activities are highly motivating and can slide into a variety of subjects and topics to enhance what you are already teaching.
We love food!
There aren’t many things I like better than food. It’s key to good health (eat your veggies). It’s fun to eat (ice cream? popcorn?). There’s nothing more satisfying than baking a loaf of bread or cooking up a tasty stew!
