The Edible Classroom Wraps Up Fruitful Summer
Just like spring, summer, and fall keep area farmers going nonstop, those seasons are busiest for The Edible Classroom as staff and volunteers share hands-on gardening lessons with students throughout Lancaster County. From July 29 to Aug. 2, students from the School District of Lancaster (SDoL) met in the garden at Hamilton Elementary School for a Garden to Table camp led by Beth Horst, who along with Grace Julian co-founded The Edible Classroom as a nonprofit organization in 2018 in an effort to teach more students about growing their own food and to partner with schools to create and sustain learning gardens and customized programs.
Camp mornings kicked off with "Garden Yoga" as campers practiced stretching into poses, followed by plenty of time in the garden exploring and tending the plants. Each day featured a garden-related topic with a read-aloud story and activities, games, and crafts. "We were talking about pests and beneficials," said Jameer, one of the campers. "And we talked about how you should not kill pollinators like bees and butterflies because they carry the pollen to the seed."
Plus, campers got the chance to harvest fresh items to prepare food to try like salsa, carrot cake pancakes, sauteed potatoes, and potato salad. "I'm just thrilled that these kids got to experience this, because many of them don't have gardens or yards at home," shared Horst.
Some of the other summer offerings by The Edible Classroom included garden camps and enrichment programs at Park Elementary School in Columbia Borough School District, Brecht Elementary School in Manheim Township School District, Conestoga Elementary School in Penn Manor School District, Manor Township Playground in the Parks, Teen Central in Manheim, Wee Care Day School in East Petersburg, and Power Scholars Academy offered through SDoL and the Lancaster Family YMCA.
Julian noted that in the fall and spring The Edible Classroom helps schools throughout the county with planning curriculum-based garden lessons: "All of which teach them how to plant, tend, harvest, and enjoy the fruits of their labor," she explained.
On Saturday, Sept. 21, The Edible Classroom will host its second annual Watermelon Blaster 5K and Kids' Fun Run for the community at 8:30 a.m. at Manor Middle School, 2950 Charlestown Road, Lancaster. All participants will receive a watermelon blaster: a favorite smoothie recipe of The Edible Classroom's founders that combines fresh and frozen watermelon with a splash of lime. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three male and female finishers in three age categories.
To register in advance, readers may visit http://www.theedibleclassroom.org/5k-registration. Those who register by Friday, Sept. 6, will receive a discounted rate and a T-shirt. Packet pickup will be offered from 6 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20, at Manor Middle School. Event-day registration and packet pickup will open at 7 a.m.
The Kids' Fun Run, free and open to children age 12 and younger, will begin at approximately 9:30 a.m. Other festivities on race day will include live music by Dreadnought Brigade and a watermelon seed spitting contest for children and adults, where the winners will receive watermelons.
A portion of every Watermelon Blaster registration fee will go into a School Garden Grant fund. Grants will be awarded to three schools to use toward The Edible Classroom's programming to establish or sustain a school garden in the 2019-20 academic year.
To learn more about how to get involved, readers may search for "The Edible Classroom" on Facebook or visit http://www.theedibleclassroom.org. Volunteers are welcome to serve in various capacities.
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