APCS Edible Schoolyard

Quote of the Week

2010-11-15T10:15:00.001-06:00

"We come from the earth,
we return to the earth,
and in between we garden."
~Anonymous

Fall Harvest

2010-11-08T14:30:00.003-06:00

Today we harvested about 30 pumpkins from our garden! We also had quite a few canteloupe, yellow squash, green onions, green beans and 2 watermelons.

The 11th grade boys class had a feast of the canteloupes.
Our kindergarten class also tasted some canteloupe last week. Today, they had a snack of fresh yellow squash. We even found a "twin squash" where 2 were conjoined. How fascinating!

Since we've cooked pumpkin every which way: pumpkin soup, pilaf with pumpkin, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake (with some local goat cheese), we let the 8th grade girls each take a pumpkin home to their families. We also sent them home with recipes to make their own pumpkin cheesecake with their parents for Thanksgiving dinner.

Quote of the Week

2010-11-06T09:05:00.002-05:00

"I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for."
Georgia O'Keeffe

Ms. Polly's drawing of a squash from our garden.

Dia de los Muertos

2010-11-04T07:49:00.003-05:00

On Monday we had a festive celebration of the Mexican holiday "el Dia de los Muertos" (the Day of the Dead) where they pay homage to their relatives and friends who have passed on before them. The 5th grade and 1st grade were studying the Aztecs, the Mayans and the Incas of present-day Mexico, so we combined their studies with projects in art and cooking.

The 1st graders were very creative in their costume-making.

Sicily and Jenna debate which food to try next.

Mexican music and handmade tissue paper flags gave authenticity to the atmosphere.

Ms. Polly gets into the spirit!

Blue Moon Pumpkins

2010-10-27T20:26:00.005-05:00

Our heirloom "Blue Moon Pumpkins" are almost ripe!

Have you ever eaten lettuce this color before?

This sunflower bud is about to burst open.

5th graders in the kitchen

2010-10-27T19:38:00.005-05:00

William, Jack & Peter practice grinding coriander seeds. They loved the smell of fresh ground spices. We are getting excited about our "Dia de los Muertos" celebration coming up on Monday, for which they will have made costumes, decorations, and will prepare Mexican food.

Katie & Rachel are naturals with a mortar & pestle.

Quote of the Week

2010-10-26T19:41:00.008-05:00

"A culture is preserved one generation at a time."
~ Dewey Balfa

Scarlett and Mariah (sporting their Fall Festival t-shirts) show off our bounty of pecans before the 4th graders dig in to crack, shell and eat a healthy snack!

Garden Treasures

2010-10-15T09:00:00.004-05:00

Madasyn finds a beautiful yellow squash.

Ivy discovers a pumpkin hiding among the leaves.

The children were amazed by the bees hovering and pollinating all the pumpkin flowers. This one's covered in pollen before he takes flight again.

We planted shallots today and harvested some green onions. As she helped the other fifth graders weed and plant the shallots, Rejane remarked, "I've never been this close to a teacher before!" It's always the little quips that make me smile.

Ms. Billie Kay's Etiquette Class

2010-10-13T15:03:00.004-05:00

Ms. Billie Kay is getting into the halloween spirit!

Ms. Bobbi Coco dressed in a specially made holiday apron.

The table was perfectly appointed.

The girls enjoyed Ms. Bobbi's gumbo, sweet potatoes and rolls. This was their chance to show their teachers how much they learned about dining etiquette these past few weeks.

All smiles and compliments to the chefs...
Bon Appetit!

Recipe of the Week

2010-10-11T06:45:00.006-05:00

Leaf-peeper's Salad

1 head of Red Cabbage, shredded
8 Carrots, peeled & shredded
1/2 c. sunflower seeds or chopped nuts
1/2 c. golden raisins

Oil & Vinegar Dressing
*you can use a variety of oils or vinegars to change the taste of your salad.

This recipe also comes from Vermont's Cooks Garden.
It's named for all the people who travel to the Northeast to view the vibrant colors of fall leaves. This salad is bright, beautiful, nutritious and delicious!

Pink October at APCS

2010-10-10T17:02:00.005-05:00

Today we paid $1 to wear pink t-shirts and another $1 to wear blue jeans to raise money for the Susan Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Research.

Dayton picks some pink zinnias from the garden for the front office.

According to "The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D., some foods that decrease your risk of getting breast cancer are the following:
Beans, Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Carrots, Cranberries, Eggs, Flaxseed, Grapefruit, Kale, Lemons, Lentils, Olive Oil, Pineapple, Prunes, Spinach, Strawberries, & Tomatoes. The spice Cumin & the herb Rosemary (which we have an abundance in the garden) also seem to play a role in blocking cancers.

Pumpkins beware...

2010-10-06T16:08:00.007-05:00

5th graders Lindsay, Elyse & Shawna are charmed by these pumpkins.

The children have scooped out the seeds for toasting and chopped the pumpkin into large pieces for roasting.

The toasted "pepitas", which is Spanish for pumpkin seeds. They are a healthy, nutritious snack. Even the children who never tasted them before loved them. I love to garnish a creamy pumpkin soup with a few crunchy pepitas.
Parents, try this one at home!

Quote of the Week

2010-10-04T17:00:00.005-05:00

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap
but by the seeds that you plant."
~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Art for Kitchen's sake

2010-09-30T17:35:00.003-05:00

A BIG Thank you to Ms. Billy Kay's sewing class for making us some colorful curtains and napkins! Our kitchen renovation is slowly coming along. We now needed some art to spice up the kitchen walls, so I asked a few of the classes to create visual art that was inspired by food or nature. Although I was pleased by so many, here are a few of my favorites:

Dontrell

Jane'a

Jordyn

Celebrate Fall ~

2010-09-29T17:16:00.002-05:00

Our 11th grade boys built this cute picket fence out of scrap from the potting shed. The new signs for the garden have a mirliton image, which is "Uniquely Louisiana".

A baby yellow squash.

Various colors of mums popped up from last year.

Families in the Garden

2010-09-29T17:05:00.004-05:00

We are so proud of our APCS families! Last night at Open House, we took family photos in the garden. It was so wonderful to see our students proudly bring their parents and grandparents to the garden to have their picture taken.
I thought they all turned out great.
Here are just a few...

Happy Fall!
Ms. Paige & Ms. Polly

Work Day Postponed

2010-09-21T11:14:00.004-05:00

The "Dig-In" workday scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 25th has been postponed.
We will have it when the weather cools a bit.

Thanks for your support!

Quote of the Week

2010-09-20T13:17:00.003-05:00

"Gardening requires lots of water -
most of it in the form of perspiration."
~Lou Erickson

These are some "Hidden Lilies" in our garden, which are so named because their blossoms are hidden down in the leaves. There's not much of a fragrance, but as you can see- they almost look like orchids... very exotic!

September Garden Tour

2010-09-20T13:14:00.010-05:00

Raven says according to our new thermometer even though Fall is almost here, it's still 100 degrees!

Marshall shows us the height of the corn & squash.

Bella is squinting from the sunshine in front of the pumpkin patch. There are a few blossoms, which will become baby pumpkins soon.

Devon spots a baby cabbage nestled around a compost pile.

Maci stops to smell the roses and declares the fragrance delightful.

Roses can be organic... look at these beauties!

Twins Corey and Courtney show us the lovely minature Lilliput Zinnias by the potting shed.

The 2nd graders play "Ring around the Rosemary".

Quote of the Week

2010-09-13T17:16:00.003-05:00

"Insist on yourself.
Never imitate."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Planting fall crops

2010-09-13T14:27:00.003-05:00

We're getting ready for Fall crops.
Although it was still 98 degrees today in the APCS garden. We just put a new thermometer on the potting shed, so we could torment ourselves by knowing that it is, in fact, 98 degrees (with high humidity, of course).
Today in the garden, we planted cauliflower, lettuce, and shallots.
Yesterday we planted some seeds~ 2 types of kale, brussel sprouts, swiss chard, spinach, broccoli, more shallots, garlic, cucumbers, butter lettuce, green onions.

We want to thank Darrel Voelker who has been volunteering in the heat to till the garden for us and map out the area for our new ramada.

Gratitude also to Dean Kramer and my 11th grade boys class who have been working hard to get some irrigation out to our garden. It will be so wonderful to have easy access to water.
Thanks Darrel & Dean!!

Cooking Cushaw

2010-09-09T13:10:00.014-05:00

Ms. Paige brings a cushaw from a local farmer to the 8th grade boys class.
Do you know the main difference between a summer squash and a winter squash?

Ms. Polly splits it open and the cooking begins. We bake half with cinnamon, butter & honey, chop the other half into cubes to make a soup, and toast the seeds. The shredded skin goes into the compost... nothing is wasted.

Nathan, Casey & Ashton enjoy eating the toasted cushaw seeds sprinkled with sea salt.

A cushaw is a Cajun favorite hard-shelled squash harvested in the fall. Many locals eat it as a dessert. Here is a link to Chef John Folse's recipe (click on this). It is also listed as one of Slow Food's Ark of Taste foods (click on this)

Quote of the Week

2010-09-09T13:10:00.006-05:00

Stretch your mind and fly~
African proverb

Amazing apples from the Edible Schoolyard Academy in Berkeley, California that Ms. Polly & I attended this summer. We now have 3 apple trees planted in our garden.

Guest Chefs

2010-09-06T15:23:00.009-05:00

APCS attorney Rodney Rabalais (a member of Slow Food Avoyelles) and District Attorney Charles Riddle were the guest chefs on Friday for the 11th grade boys' class.
Our high school boys love to see positive male role models... in the community and especially in our kitchen. Our guest chefs talked about the history of omelettes and how fast and easy it is to make a quick veggie omelette. The class assembled and chopped all the ingredients. Then each boy got to make his own personal omelette. They were encouraged to try at least one ingredient they didn't normally eat. They also savored the taste of freshly squeezed orange juice with their meal.
A huge Thank You to Mr. Rodney & Mr. Charles!

Jordan enjoys his specially made omelette.

Nathan proudly presents our director, Ms. Julie, with a vegetable omelette and freshly squeezed orange juice.

Muscadines

2010-09-06T15:17:00.002-05:00

Thank you to Ms. Janice Yantis who brought us muscadines from her farm near Bunkie! Several of our classes got to taste them and draw pictures about the experience. This gem's from the 2nd grade.

Quote of the Week

2010-09-01T16:54:00.003-05:00

On Friday, we have two guest chefs teaching us to make omelettes!
Their identity is a mystery...

Cooking with Ms. Polly

2010-09-01T09:55:00.009-05:00

Ms. Polly shows Martin & Grace the techniques of making bread dough, which the 4th graders made into cinnamon twists. Some of the other classes learned how to make homemade pretzels. This week, the hallway was teaming with the smell of bread baking, which is always delightful.

Today, she helped the older boys' class make Gazpacho~ a cold tomato soup from Spain. (recipe posted below) It's so refreshing and healthy!
Thank you Ms. Polly!

Herbed Gazpacho
(from the Cook's Garden cookbook)
4 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled & chopped
1 med. onion, chopped
1 med. red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. fresh basil
1/2 c. fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 c. rice vinegar
3 tbsp. olive oil
sea salt & pepper to taste

Puree all ingredients in a blender. Cover and chill overnight or at least 4 hrs.
(Ms. Paige also likes to add fresh cilantro and a bit of cayenne for a kick!)

Garlic Croutons
4 slices French bread, cut into cubes
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt, to taste

Toss the bread with the oil, garlic & salt in a bowl. Bake @ 400' for 5 min., then turn and bake until golden brown. Serve cold soup with hot croutons.

for more healthy recipes and wonderful seeds for your garden:
www.cooksgarden.com

Guest Chef Darrel Voelker

2010-08-27T09:22:00.012-05:00

Today, we had our first guest chef! Mr. Darrel Voelker of Slow Food Avoyelles, brought some fresh okra from his Bunkie garden to make okra fritters. {Notice in the photos how the kitchen is becoming more colorful and exciting?}
The 8th grade boys were diligent in their work, adventurous in their tasting, and they all came back for seconds~ A new classic Southern dish & sooo delicious!!!

The 8th grade boys class helped make the fritters and a romesco dipping sauce (recipes below). They also learned some okra history, such as how the dried seeds can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. They also learned that okra is a member of the cotton family and was discovered in Ethiopia dating back 3500 years.

Jonah gives it a taste~

Zachary is pleased with their work~

Okra Cornmeal Fritters
1/2 pound fresh okra, trimmed and chopped
1/2 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, finely chopped
1 large egg
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 cup white cornmeal (preferably stone-ground)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 bacon slices
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Preheat oven to 200°F with rack in middle.
Cook bacon in a heavy medium skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels, reserving fat in skillet. Finely chop bacon. Add onion and okra to fat in skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bacon.
Whisk egg in a medium bowl, then whisk in buttermilk, cornmeal, sugar, cayenne, and 1 tsp salt until smooth. Stir in okra mixture.
Wipe skillet clean. Add enough oil to skillet to measure 1/4 inch and heat over medium heat until it shimmers. Cook rounded tablespoons of batter (6 to 7 fritters per batch), turning once, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Keep warm in oven while making remaining batches. Serve immediately.

Romesco Sauce
1 c. blanched almonds
1 piece stale bread
4 large garlic cloves- minced
2 med. tomatoes- diced
2 roasted red bell peppers- diced
1 cup EVOO {extra virgin olive oil}
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1 tbsp. paprika

Put a few drops of the olive oil in a small skillet and pan-fry the bread. Take bread out & let cool. Put tomatoes & garlic in skillet with a few more drops of EVOO for a few minutes. Let cool. Pull bread apart and put pieces in a food processor along with almonds. Pulse a few times. Then add rest of ingredients & blend! Store remaining sauce in refrigerator.

Quote/ Recipe of the Week

2010-08-25T10:12:00.004-05:00

Radish & Chive Salad
1/2 c. finely shredded radishes
1/4 c. freshly chopped chives
3/4 tsp. sesame oil
a sprinkle of sea salt if you wish?

for a variation, you could also add:
1/3 c. chopped celery
1/3 c. chopped red bell pepper

Try this as a lite lunch or a side dish with fish!

Seeds evolve into sprouts

2010-08-25T09:58:00.005-05:00

Let's check to see if the baby seeds have sprouted???

Maggi finds a baby pumpkin!

Hailey points to some bush beans as Megan looks over her shoulder.

Today the kindergarteners got a tour of the new kitchen, and then they tasted an exotic fruit...PAPAYA!!!
We talked about the orgins, the color, the appearance, the smell, and the taste. Some exclaimed it tasted like a pineapple and some declared it tasted like a peach. I thought they were both right. To me, it tastes like these fruits combined, but we all agreed it was sweet.

Kitchen - Before photos

2010-08-18T14:04:00.002-05:00

This is what it looked like before Ms. Polly and I got hold of it! Thanks to Ms. Julie's approval, we are jumping into another segment of the Edible Schoolyard...the APCS Kitchen!
We thought it needed some color and spice. I know the children are anxious to get in there, but let's see how it develops over the next few weeks!

Food memories...

2010-08-18T14:03:00.004-05:00

"The best gumbo I ever tasted is when my dad made some on a cold winter day. It was very delicious, he cooked before he went over seas because he is in the navy and he stayed over seas for 3 years then he came back.
I was happy to see my dad."
Rachel- 4th grade

A food memory is a great way to connect with your children.
You can even do it as a family project.
You may be surprised to hear about some of their favorite
food memories! We read them aloud in class, and many of
them reminded me & Ms. Polly about our childhood memories.

The Seed will never know the Flower

2010-08-17T20:46:00.006-05:00

I read this title today in a gardening book, and the profoundness of it really floored me.
Our garden teaches so many lessons!

Many thanks to our former sheriff, Bill Belt, for sending his tractor and helper, Mr. Fox to till under our summer jungle of weeds. Also, gratitude goes out to our current sheriff, Doug Anderson, and deputy sheriff, Steve Martel, for sending a work crew to help us get everything in shape for the 1st day of school.

Today was a seed planting day...pumpkins, beans, corn and squash. We are hoping to have a big harvest before Thanksgiving this year.
Starting the new school year with a clean slate~ anything is possible!

Kitchen coming soon!

2010-08-17T20:36:00.000-05:00

Zinnias

2010-07-18T22:03:00.004-05:00

Summer Bounty

2010-07-18T21:27:00.003-05:00

Look what I found!

Sweet & delicious~

I ate a grape tomato off the vine today...

It's mid-July, and Ms. Polly and I just returned from the "Edible Schoolyard Academy" out in California a few days ago, where we were the guests of the most gracious founder of the Edible Schoolyard, Ms. Alice Waters. We acquired some fantastic new ideas for the upcoming year, along with a bit of rest, which we definitely needed.

There's 2 weeks before the faculty returns to school and a month before the children begin again. Today I rode my bicycle out to the school (about 6 miles) to see how the young fruit trees have fared in this summer heat. Good news...they all look healthy!

I ate a fresh tomato off the vine and found 2 ripe watermelons! A huge thank you to Mr. Dean and Mr. Podgie for cutting grass around the garden this summer~ I hope you've had some treats from the garden as well.
We are eager to get in there and shape up the garden for a new season....
See you soon!

Hopi Pink Corn

2010-05-28T16:34:00.004-05:00

Well, even though school's out, Ms. Paige had a work day today in the garden. The Hopi Pink Corn is tasseling...and it's beautiful! This is one of the heirloom seed varieties from Seeds of Change.
We planted some last fall, and the soil was not nearly rich enough to sustain a corn plant, so we are excited about this progress!

If you want to know more about this incredible plant:

http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_43/corn.aspx

You say "Po-ta-to", I say "Let's Eat!"

2010-05-19T21:28:00.004-05:00

Check out these beautiful organic babies!!!

The 4th graders were so excited about our harvest!

Pam Laborde tries some of our freshly roasted potatoes~

Well, we had a surprise harvest today! We were getting a bit discouraged battling the potato beetles and decided to pull up a few decimated plants to see if there were any potatoes formed. Well, we filled up a full tray full of gorgeous, organic potatoes! Being that our "Family Appreciation Night" was this evening, we decided to serve them to our children, parents & faculty.

I have to give a HUGE thank you to John Ed Laborde for helping me clean and cook these potatoes at Panaroma Foods in Marksville. I would have never been able to cook this amount of potatoes in time in my tiny oven!

Everyone that sampled the potatoes loved them. For those that asked, they were simply washed, cubed, drizzled in olive oil, sprinkled with pepper, garlic seasoning, a bit of tony's, some fresh rosemary & oregano from the garden...then baked for about 35 min. Voila!

Time to fly!

2010-05-18T09:53:00.003-05:00

As our last few days of school are winding down, we went to check on the baby bluebirds this morning, and they were gone!

There was a perfectly formed nest left in the birdbox- we kept it. You're supposed to clean out the box, so each nesting pair can create their own nest.

This is a good lesson for our kids. As parents & teachers, we can show you love & compassion, teach you all the survival skills we know, give you plenty of advice from lessons that we may have learned the hard way, then it's time for you to fly on your own!

Blackberry feast~

2010-05-13T10:34:00.009-05:00

Well, the blackberries are ripening, and our classes today got to enjoy some freshly picked berries with vanilla bean ice cream as an "end-of-the-year" treat!

Blackberry facts:
~ They are very high in Vitamin C and fiber
~ They are very high in ellagic acid which is an antioxidant that acts as a scavenger to help make potential cancer-causing chemicals inactive. Ellagic Acid reduces the genetic damage caused by carcinogens like tobacco smoke and air pollution. They also contain other antioxidants that help lower cholesterol and ward off cardiovascular disease.
~ Blackberries are effective in the treatment of stomach problems, such as nausea.
~ Blackberries are one of the few fruits that contain heart-protective Vitamin E. Berries also strengthen blood vessels , protecting eyesight and reducing heart disease and risk!
~ Blackberries are fat free!
~ Blackberries contain the highest levels of phytoestrogens, which have a possible roll in prevention of breast & cervical cancer.
~ Some of the antioxidants in berries help fight the aging process! Blackberries are high in anthocyanins, which give them their color. These specific antioxidants help fight off the process of aging by fighting off the diseases associated with old age. Think about a metal saw rusting due to oxidation, the body deteriorates due to the effects of oxidation.

Today we also had a lesson in composting. Our ice cream cups were made of a biodegradable corn substance. Our wooden spoons and thin paper napkins also went into the compost bins...nothing went into the trash!

Have a fantastic summer and come see our booth at the
Marksville Farmers' Market every Saturday in June!!!

"The proof is in the pudding"

2010-05-12T21:53:00.009-05:00

Let's not fool ourselves.
It takes time to create an organic garden that produces amazing fruits, vegetables & herbs. I believe our children are worth that time.
Ms. Polly and I have worked ambitiously hard these past 9 months with the kids to develop good soil, and I do believe we are on our way to succeeding!

Take a good look at these soil samples...
The one on the far left (yes, the one that looks like little rocks) contains the soil we started with...needless to say, in the midst of a drought.
The middle sample was after we added tons of organic mulch, so it improved quite drastically immediately.
The one on the right you will notice is a bit darker in color and moister. As the soil improves, its ability to hold water also improves.

Recently, we have been reading up on adding minerals to our soil and the science (and beauty) of permaculture. If you are interested in reading more about this, check out these websites:

www.patternliteracy.com

www.soilminerals.com

1st graders in the garden

2010-05-12T11:30:00.006-05:00

Today the 1st graders tasted strawberries & sweet peas from the garden...
Elijah exclaimed that the peas were "juicy & sweet!"

Kylie showing us the progress of the heirloom sweet corn~

Isabella is checking out the height of the sunflowers~

They also got to see how big the baby bluebirds are now!

Eating your Daylilies...

2010-05-12T11:04:00.005-05:00

Did you know that daylilies are actually higher in protein and Vitamin C than most of the vegetables we eat?

"While most flower gardeners are familiar with daylilies, few know that practically every part of the daylily is edible. Some common ways of eating daylilies include adding fresh buds and blossoms to salads, as well as battering and frying them like squash blossoms. Dried daylily petals, called "golden needles" by the Chinese, are an ingredient in many Chinese recipes, including hot-and-sour soup."

The 6th grade girls' class taste-tested some today. Cailey Cole remarked, "It taste like a crisp lettuce with a sauteed onion aftertaste".

"Daylilies are adaptable, vigorous perennials that thrive in the garden, even when neglected. They are easy to establish and multiply quickly. They are virtually pest- and disease-free. They even taste good!"

http://www.gardenstew.com/about371.html

Sweet pea tasting in the morning

2010-05-05T16:27:00.005-05:00

This morning we picked some fresh peas off the fenceline for the 4th graders to do a taste test- they remarked how fresh they tasted! Most of them (maybe all?) came back for more...
One of our students, Cameron remarked that it was the freshest thing he'd ever put in his mouth!

Congratulations Graduates!!!

2010-05-05T11:41:00.008-05:00

pictured above is the senior class with Ms. Paige, Ms. Lori and Ms. Julie on Labor Day work day in the garden...

Congratulations to the 2010 APCS Graduates and good luck in your future endeavors!

"The only journey is the one within."
— Rainer Maria Rilke

Beneficial Bugs

2010-05-05T11:38:00.002-05:00

Today, after we spotted a dragonfly, a bumblebee, and a ladybug in the garden, our 1st graders drew their favorite beneficial insect.
Here are a few of them:

praying mantis

spider

centipede

butterflies

butterfly

Bluebirds & blueberries...

2010-05-03T13:46:00.005-05:00

The bluebirds have hatched and the mother has removed the beautiful blue eggshells from the nest. Below are the four newborn bluebirds sleeping snuggled together.

We observed this dragonfly perched on one of our blueberry bushes today...

The blueberries are growing more plump...
they need a few more weeks to ripen!

Mother's Day mint & cards

2010-05-03T09:19:00.008-05:00

Chloe, Josce & Julian work on their cards

flowers that have been pressed for the cards

violas in the garden

roses near the potting shed

The kindergarten classes have been hard at work making sure their mothers will feel extra-special this Sunday!

We made mint cuttings for each child to bring home to their mother, so they can start an herb garden.
Then they cut flowers from the garden and pressed them in books to flatten them and preserve them. Then they made their cards with their handprint, writings and drawings with the pressed flowers. We laminated them as a keepsake for years to come.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL OUR MOTHERS!!!

History of Bay leaves

2010-04-28T09:51:00.008-05:00

Tenth grader Daniel shows off our new Bay leaf tree ~

Bay Leaf
Laurus nobilis
French: feuille de laurier

The bay tree is indigenous to Asia Minor, from where it spread to the Mediterranean and then to other countries with similar climates. Bay, or laurel, was famed in ancient Greece and Rome. Emperors, heroes and poets wore wreaths of laurel leaves.

Apollo made the tree sacred and thus it became a symbol of honour. The association with honour and glory continue today; we have poet laureates (Apollo was the God of poets), and bacca-laureate means “laurel berries” which signifies the completion of a bachelor degree. Doctors were also crowned with laurel, which was considered a cure-all. Triumphant athletes of ancient Greece were awarded laurel garlands and was given to winners at Olympic games since 776 BC Today, grand prix winners are bedecked with laurel wreaths.

Spice Preparation and Storage
Dried leaves should be whole and olive green. Brown leaves will have lost their flavour. Whole leaves are often used in cooking and crushed or ground leaves can be used for extra strength. Kept out of light in airtight containers the whole leave will retain flavor for over two years.

Culinary Uses
Bay leaves are widely used throughout the world. It may be best known in bouquets garnis or used similarly in soups, sauces, stews, daubes and courts-bouillon’s, an appropriate seasoning for fish, meat and poultry. Bay leaf is often included as a pickling spice.

Attributed Medicinal Properties
It was once used to keep moths away, owing to the leafs lauric acid content which gives it insecticidal properties. Bay leaf has many properties which make it useful for treating high blood sugar, migraine headaches, bacterial and fungal infections, and gastric ulcers. Bay leaves and berries have been used for their astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, emetic and stomachic properties. Bay Oil, or Oil of Bays (Oleum Lauri) is used in liniments for bruising and sprains. Bay leaf has been used as an herbal remedy for headaches. It contains compounds called parthenolides, which have proven useful in the treatment of migraines. Bay leaf has also been shown to help the body process insulin more efficiently, which leads to lower blood sugar levels. It has also been used to reduce the effects of stomach ulcers. Bay Leaf contains eugenol, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Bay leaf is also an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Bay Leaf has also been used to treat rheumatism, amenorrhea, and colic.

http://www.theepicentre.com/Spices/bay.html

Rain barrels

2010-04-28T09:44:00.005-05:00

THANK YOU to Mr. Jay Callegari, of Callegari & Son Seamless Gutters, who installed free gutters on our potting shed to harvest water in our new rain barrels!

Our goal here at the APCS Edible Schoolyard is to become completely sustainable within a few years.
Each rain barrel holds 50 gallons of run-off water to nourish our garden, and the bonus is there are no chemicals in the water.

Ms. Polly and 4th graders Peyton & Hunter demonstrate...

April's progress...

2010-04-27T20:01:00.005-05:00

With April winding down, here's a few snapshots of the crops progressing. We now have baby green tomatoes, sweet peas on the fenceline (the children love tasting these fresh!), our corn is growing tall and the potatoes will be ready for harvest soon!
Spring is such a lovely time of year to come take a stroll through the garden!

Nesting in the garden

2010-04-26T13:01:00.005-05:00

A killdeer (bird) has created a nest in the middle of our green onion patch. While the children are excited to see the beautiful eggs up close, the mama bird gets quite vocal when we come near! She flaps her wings and acts injured to draw us away from the nest.

We have since learned about this bird, which likes to nest in open prairie ground. They usually lay four eggs, and our nest does have four. It takes almost a month for the eggs to hatch. The mother & father killdeer take turns sitting on the nest. The adult birds like to eat beetles, snails, caterpillars, & fly larvae.

In the bluebird boxes, we have eggs...
Aren't they gorgeous!!!
see below...

Organic pest control

2010-04-26T13:00:00.010-05:00

ladybugs are beneficial insects and eat potato beetle eggs, as well as aphids

colorado potato beetle eggs on the underside of a potato leaf

the harmful potato beetle (before we destroyed them)

Our potato crop is doing great, but recently, we found quite a few Colorado potato beetles in various stages on the leaves. Pesticides can be especially concentrated in root vegetables, so it's especially important to grow organic potatoes for our children!
We simply picked the beetles, larvae and eggs off the leaves and squished them. The 3rd graders loved this somewhat gruesome task!

We also collected a few eggs, larvae & adult beetles in a jar to share with the 7th/8th grade science classes. The children are learning to tell the difference between harmful insects and beneficial ones, like ladybugs.

Petite Chou

2010-04-26T12:48:00.011-05:00

All of our students study French here at APCS. Today we had a French speaking visitor in our garden, escorted by the owner of the Avoyelles Journal, Mr. Randy Decuir. Our guest, Mme. Florine Pary-Mille, is the mayor of a town, ville d' Enghien, in Belgium and a member of the Parliament. Since she didn't speak much English, she loved all the French signs labeling the crops!
Here are a few of our 5th grade girls' drawings of petite chou (small cabbage) from the garden...

Victoria Juneau

Amber Lemoine

Hannah Wilson

Caleigh Normand

Our 1st Crop...Shallots!

2010-04-17T16:13:00.003-05:00

This was from the Marksville Weekly News~

Marksville Farmers Market

2010-04-16T21:44:00.005-05:00

a mirliton sprouting

spotted heirloom lettuce

The APCS Edible Schoolyard will have a booth this June at the Marksville Farmers' Market, selling all the organic goodies we can harvest! It takes place every Saturday morning in June from 8 - 11 am on the Marksville Courthouse Square. I've also heard that the sewing club will also have a booth in the Arts & Crafts area selling hand-crafted items.
Word-of-mouth is the best advertising, so tell your friends, and
please help us spread the word! www.marksvillefarmersmarket.com

4th graders dry cut chives to sell at the farmers' market

Earth Day this Thursday!

2010-04-16T21:40:00.002-05:00

The 40th anniversary "Earth Day" will be celebrated this Thursday, April 22nd at the APCS Edible Schoolyard. We still have a few fruit trees to get in the ground, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate the earth than planting a tree!

Re-cycle your green onions

2010-04-15T12:04:00.004-05:00

Did you know that you can replant the root end of a green onion and it will continue to grow?
We got these from Panaroma Foods and see how they look after less than 2 weeks in the ground.
Many thanks to Mr. John Ed Laborde!

these are on the east side of the potting shed

Strawberry Fields Forever...

2010-04-15T11:59:00.005-05:00

Did you know that the strawberry is the Louisiana state fruit?

Well, we now have about 80 strawberry plants in our garden! Recently, the 7th grade girls class did a taste test of the ripened fruit.
Their verdict...DELICIOUS!!!

Spring is here!

2010-03-26T06:53:00.004-05:00

Well, Spring is officially here!
top photo- The sweet williams (dianthus) and pansies
middle- The five new blueberry bushes are full of blooms!
bottom- The children can sing the old rhyme, "Here we go 'round the mulberry bush"

Thank goodness the rain has ceased temporarily. Here in Avoyelles Parish, March is definitely living up to it's cliche' as the windiest month. We are now shaping up the beds by weeding and adding organic compost. This week we planted some tomatoes, sunflowers, heirloom corn, and 5 new blueberry bushes. We're also still in the process of planting our new fruit trees.

"To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves."
- Mahatma Gandhi

Farm to School...what a cycle!

2010-03-24T21:39:00.010-05:00

top photo- 7th grade boys spread organic goat manure on a hugelkultur.
middle- 4th grader Reed feeds a baby goat.
bottom- Students Zelia & Dylan with the owners of Wes-Mar Farms, West & Marguerite Constantine at their Thursday Dairy Market in Moreauville.

Wes-Mar Farms has been a wonderful partner to our Edible Schoolyard! Not only do they give us a free weekly supply of organic goat manure for out composting process, they recently donated 10 native pecan trees.
They participated in our spring garden festival a few weeks ago, and we set up a baby goat pen for the "kids to pet the kids".

If you love goat cheese, milk or even goat's milk soap like we do, visit their weekly market in Moreauville on Thursdays...and tell them you're a friend of the APCS Edible Schoolyard!

Herbs for Tea ~

2010-03-24T21:37:00.013-05:00

As a schoolwide project this year, we are reading the book "3 Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson. We also commited to raise money for this organization to build a new school in Afghanistan by collecting "Pennies for Peace".

Fourth graders Lindsey, Sicily, Mary & Brooke show off their "Pennies for Peace" t-shirts, which can be purchased at the front office...while planting a few herbs.
In our school garden, we are growing a number of herbs that can be brewed for fresh tea.

~ lemon balm
~ pineapple mint
~ lemon thyme
~ sage
~ spearmint
~ rosemary
~ basil

Teachers...feel free to come collect a handful of herbs to brew yourself a cup of hot tea during your lunchbreak!

Terra Madre Day - Dec. 10

2010-03-24T21:26:00.010-05:00

top photo~ 7th grade girls built a compost container to enrich the soil
middle photo~ Ms. Paige with Carlo Petrini, the founder and International President of Slow Food & Terra Madre
bottom photo~ the 1st graders planted a persimmon tree on Terra Madre Day

"1,000 communities are celebrating Terra Madre Day this December 10, in one of the largest global occasions to promote sustainable food and ‘eating locally’.

Held on the occasion of Slow Food’s 20th birthday, Terra Madre Day is being celebrated by more than 100,000 farmers, producers, cooks, students, and consumers across the association’s network of 150 countries.

A global revolution can only grow from local roots..."

Carlo Petrini ~
Slow Food President

Hugelkulturs....what are they???

2010-03-24T21:05:00.005-05:00

Our 5th grade boys classes have taken pride in constructing 5 large hugelkulturs around our circular garden. A hugelkulter is German for "mound culture". This is a great way to grow potatoes, melons, or squash.
You start with a pile of dead branches or rotten logs, fill in with dead leaves, manure, grass clippings, dirt, and mulch. After a few weeks of rain (or watering) the pile should be decomposing. You can start walking on the pile to crush it down.
(they really loved this part!)
As the wood rots, it slowly releases nutrients. The first two mounds that we started in September have been planted with potatoes- and we're so excited the potatoes are sprouted and flourishing!
We'll keep you updated on the progress of our potato crop...

Earthworms are our Friends!

2010-03-24T06:55:00.007-05:00

Our kindergarten classes are learning about earthworms. Here are some of the things we've learned:
They can live up to 10 years
They have no eyes, arms, legs or ears
They never sleep
They never catch diseases
They are able to eat their own body weight every day
They have strong mouth muscles but no teeth
They eat leaves and turn them into nutrients
They breathe through their skin
They can live underwater for a while
They are cold blooded
There are 2,700 different types in the world
They are perfect recyclers
They aerate and mix up our soil
They are extremely sensitive to environmental pollutants
They are very important for our soil!

After we watch them eat leaves & burrow into the sand in these jars for a few weeks, we will release them into the garden. We are experiencing more and more earthworms in the garden...a sign of healthy soil!

Donations + Volunteers

2010-03-24T06:46:00.007-05:00

Here's a BIG thank you to State Representative Robert Johnson!!!
He bought us a much needed mulching mower. This will help us shred dried leaves for mulch, and also harvest grass clippings to add nitrogen to our compost.
Mr. Johnson was here at the garden to kick-off our
"Time for Lunch" campaign on Labor Day when we spoke about the importance of healthy food options for kids at school.
This is also a great time to say THANK YOU to our parents, family, friends and community for donating materials and time to build this precious potting shed/ outdoor classroom! Now we have a locked shed to store all our tools and a shady place to gather and chat before class. With gratitude!

For anyone wanting to volunteer in the garden, Tuesday are volunteer work days for Ms. Paige. Please consider coming to work in our garden and lunch with me under the trees. Service organizations are welcome. If you want to confirm a time, email me- paige@marksvillefarmersmarket.com
See you in the garden!

Spring seedlings

2010-03-22T11:12:00.002-05:00

Some heirloom varieties we have started in our windowsill ~ thanks to Seeds of Change and Seed Savers Exchange!

 sweet Dakota rose watermelon
 Louisiana long green eggplant
 Stowell’s sweet corn
 Earliana tomato
 Burbank red slicing tomato
 Eel River muskmelon (cantaloupe)
 Blenheim orange muskmelon
 Red Rubin basil
 white Lisbon bunching onion
 Forellenschuss lettuce
 Greek oregano
 Roma tomato
 Simpson black-seeded lettuce
 Champion radishes
 French breakfast radishes
 mesclun salad mix
 endurance sunflowers
 scarlet emporer runner bean

If they grow it... they will taste it!

2010-03-22T10:56:00.005-05:00

Studies show that if a child participates in the growing and/or preparing of a food, he/she will be more likely to taste it.
I'm happy to report that is definitely the case here at APCS Edible Schoolyard! Everything here is organic, of course, which is so important when you are growing food for children.
Last week, our kindergarten class tasted broccoli, lemon balm, & lettuce. The 4th grade class tasted radish greens. Our 7th graders tasted lemon thyme & carrots- and remarked how fresh they tasted. Of course, we had just pulled them out of the ground minutes earlier!
Our first "crop" of shallots was harvested last week and some were prepared by Chef Joe Truex on Tuesday at the festival. He was surprised and inspired by the children coming back for more sauteed greens...bon appetit!

Heirloom Seeds + Cookware Grants

2010-03-21T13:26:00.007-05:00

We recently received two phenomenal heirloom seed grants by way of two generous companies ~ Seeds of Change and Seed Savers Exchange. We also received a tremendous cookware grant from Anolon, by way of Slow Food, to start our kitchen this coming fall! The kids are anxious to start learning how to cook what we are growing in our garden- many of them have made their own personalized aprons in Ms. Billy Kay's sewing class.
We desperately need funding for our garden/ future kitchen and would appreciate any donations, whether they be monetary, tools, plants or by giving of your time!
Grant-writing is an excellent way to help- if you have experience in this arena, or would like to learn...please contact Ms. Paige or Ms. Polly.

for more info. on these companies on the web:
www.seedsofchange.com
www.seedsaversexchange.com
www.anolon.com

10th Anniversary Poster

2010-03-21T11:04:00.004-05:00

This gorgeous art nouveau poster was designed by local artist Season Bivens to celebrate the school's 10th anniversary in conjunction with Alice Waters & Joe Truex's visit to the Edible Schoolyard.
They are available for only $10- proceeds benefit the Edible Schoolyard.
Contact Ms. Paige Rabalais at the school 318.264.1470~
Make checks payable to "Slow Food Avoyelles", or by email~
paige@marksvillefarmersmarket.com

Thank you for your support!!!

Alice Waters + Joe Truex visit

2010-03-21T08:02:00.014-05:00

(above) Alice Waters presenting senior girls with 20 various fruit trees for our new orchard

The Avoyelles Public Charter School celebrated its 10th anniversary on a fun filled spring day that started formally with speeches and dignitaries and ended with a garden food festival filled with music and dancing.
Internationally famous chef & Slow Food Vice-President, Alice Waters, and Mansura native, nationally award winning Atlanta chef Joe Truex gave speeches and commended the school for starting an Edible Schoolyard, pioneered by Waters almost 20 years ago in Berkeley, California.
In true Avoyelles Parish style, the students, officials and guests moved from the formal courtyard to the APCS Edible Schoolyard for a feast of local foods prepared by volunteers from Avoyelles and surrounding Parishes, and Cajun music compliments of Gerard Dupuy and student fiddlers, washboard and guitar players.
Local foods served were Panaroma Foods' crawfish bread, Chef Trent Bonnette's spinach salad, cracklins & boudin by Gerald Wayne Lemoine, crawfish etoufee' by Bernard's Seafood, cochon-de-lait by Kelone's, squirrel fricasse by Nathan Gaspard, Maison Louisiane's bbq shrimp & grits, Wes-Mar farms' goat cheese & milk, sweet potato ice cream by Chef Emily Kay Lemoine, seafood gumbo by Glenn Goudeau, homemade ice cream by Amy Thevis & Keith Dupuy of the Rural Life Museum, Camelot Honey gave away samples, & fried catfish by Rodney Rabalais.
Mansura native, Chef Joe Truex put on a cooking demonstration teaching interested students how to prepare and eat greens picked fresh directly from their new organic garden. Chef Alice Waters, visited with the students, autographed books, and commented that her experience with the staff and children was truly magical. But the best comment of the day from a young girl who, after tasting the crab & corn bisque prepared by Jonathon Knoll of Fresh Catch Bistreaux, looked up, smiled and said
“Boy, I really like my school!”

(top photo) Award-winning Atlanta chef & Mansura native, Joe Truex, cooks organic greens from the APCS Edible Schoolyard for teachers Melanee Trimble, Dana Nichols and students.
(above) The International Vice-President of Slow Food, chef Alice Waters, with Paige Rabalais & Polly Boersig, garden coordinators and officers of Slow Food Avoyelles.

on the web:
Alice Waters ~ http://www.chezpanisse.com/
Joe Truex ~ http://www.repastrestaurant.com/
Slow Food ~ http://www.slowfoodusa.com/
Slow Food Avoyelles ~ www.marksvillefarmersmarket.com

festival participants:
local goat farm ~ http://www.wesmarfarms.com/
http://www.maisonlouisianecatering.com/
LSU Rural Life Museum ~ http://appl027.lsu.edu/rlm/rurallifeweb.nsf/index