Nature's HEART Garden Update

The garden is thriving! Thanks to all of our volunteers over the summer. Below are some recent photos of the garden.

Squash

Ears of corn!!!

More squash....

Tomatoes....



...lots of tomatoes

Basil

Carrots

Cucumbers

Calling all third graders (incoming fourth graders)!!!

Redwood School's third graders once again participated in the Bonnie Plant Cabbage Program. Each third grader took home a Mega Cabbage to grow over the summer. We would love to see your cabbage's progress. Please submit photos of you and your cabbage to redwoodschoolgarden@gmail.com.

Redwood Students get a Veggiecation

A lively group of students and parents gathered on Wednesday evening, March 14th to participate in a hands-on cooking class led by Lisa Suriano, Founder of Veggiecation, a nutrition education program for children.  Together students and parents learned about the health benefits of many super veggies and fruits including kale, parsley, Granny Smith apples, bananas, and lemons.  The children participated in preparing three different recipes: Celery, Grape and Apple Salad, Lemon-Parsley Pesto, and a Kale and Banana Smoothie.  Not everyone liked every recipe, but everyone enjoyed learning and cooking together!  For recipes and more information, visit Veggiecation.com.

Winter Local Harvest: farms, food, family

Slow Food Northern NJ Invites
Garden State Folks to Enjoy Eating Local Year Round
For Immediate Release
Contact: Margaret Noon 908-654-3242/slowfoodnnj@yahoo.com
 
  The 4th Annual Local Harvest: Farms, Food, and Family will be held Saturday, February 11, 2012 (snow date: February 12) from noon to 4 p.m. at Morristown High School in Morristown. Sponsored by Slow Food Northern New Jersey in partnership with the Morris County Park Commission, the event will bring together 28 local farmers and food artisans for an afternoon of sustainably, locally produced foods to stock up on for the winter.
  Visitors can purchase seasonal vegetables and fruit, grass-fed beef and pork, pastured poultry, eggs, cheese, breads, and prepared foods from local growers and producers while learning about Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and how to purchase seasonal farm shares. CSAs participating are School Lunch Farm in Morris County and Community Supported Garden in Warren County. Appleridge Farm, Good Fields Farm, Bobolink Dairy & Bakeyard, Churutabis Farm, Harvest Home Meats and Valley Shepherd Creamery will be on hand with artisan breads, cheeses and grass-fed meats.
Arthur & Friends, an entrepreneurial training program for adults with disabilities will sell locally grown hydroponic greens. Rogowski Farm and Best Fruit Farm will offer seasonal vegetables and fruit. Artisan chocolates & sweets for Valentine’s Day from Donna & Company Chocolates, Charley’s Toffee, and Made with Love Organic Bakery.
Displays about Northern NJ’s agricultural past from Fosterfields Living Historical Farm’s interpretive display on early farm life, sustainable farming, and heritage breeds will round out the program.
Morristown High School, is located at 50 Early Street, Morristown, NJ 07960 
Entrance fee is a three dollar donation to support Slow Food Northern NJ school vegetable garden programs. For more information, visit www.slowfoodnnj.org. For snow closing information, phone 908-451-0051.
Participating farmers, food artisans, and friends
Appleridge Farm, Saylorsburg, PA: brick-oven naturally leavened artisanal breads
Arthur & Friends, NJ: local hydroponic greens
Best Fruit Farm, Hackettstown: apples and cider
Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse: artisanal cheese and bread, pastured meats
Charley’s Organic Toffee, Mountainside, NJ: toffee and caramel
Churutabis Farm, Branchville: rabbit, duck guinea-hen, freedom ranger chickens
 
CSG at Genesis Farm, Blairstown: CSA shares, winter vegetables, honey, flour
Degage Gardens: eco-handcrafted herbal aromatherapy products
Donna & Company:  Artisan Chocolates for Valentine’s Day!
Edible Jersey: local food & farming publication
Flint Hill Farm, PA: goats milk cheese
Fosterfields Living Historical Farm: sustainable farming, heritage breeds
Good Fields Farm, South New Berlin, NY: organic grass-fed beef & pastured pork
Griggstown Quail Farm, Griggstown: sustainably raised poultry

Havenwood Farm, Newton: pastured poultry, pork, and eggs
 
Harvest Home Meats, PA: pastured grass-fed meats
Ian’s Shiitake Mushroom Grow Kits, NJ: inoculate logs for shitake
Made with Love Organics, Jersey City: granola, breads, & baked goods

Rogowski Farm, Warwick, NY: CSA shares, winter vegetables, & prepared foods

Runa Tea, Brooklyn, NY: Amazon guayusa tea
Sandy Guzikowski Farm, PA:  eggs, winter fruit & vegetables, fruit preserves
School Lunch Farm, Mount Olive, NJ: CSA shares & baked goods
Southtown Farms, Mahwah, NJ: pastured chicken and duck, eggs, heirloom seeds
Sustainable Morristown: working for economic, environmental & social well-being
Sustenance on the Farm, NJ: Farm to table dinners that support school gardens
Tassot Apiaries, Inc, NJ: honey and honey products
Valley Shepherd Creamery, Long Valley: artisanal cheeses
Willow brook Farm, Wykertown: CSA, jams, jellies and pickles
 
Slow Food Northern NJ is dedicated to spreading awareness and nurturing appreciation of slowing down to enjoy healthful, locally grown food by connecting New Jersey residents with earth-friendly farmers, chefs, and food makers. The goal of Slow Food Northern NJ is to develop school gardens in every town in northern NJ. For more information, visit www.slowfoodnnj.org.
Morris County Park Commission oversees Northern New Jersey’s premier county parks system, featuring 37 parks on more than 17,000 acres of preserved open space.   Visit www.morrisparks.net for more information.
Directions From Interstate 287
 
Traveling North: Take exit 36B for County Highway 510 W/Lafayette Ave.
Merge onto County Highway 510/Lafayette Ave. Turn right onto Morris St. Take the 1st right onto Spring St. Take the 1st left onto Water St.
Take the 1st right onto Speedwell Ave. Turn left onto Early St
Destination will be on the left
 
Traveling South: Take Exit 36 for Lafayette Ave/ Ridgedale Road toward Morris Ave.
Keep left at fork and merge left onto Lafayette Ave. Turn right onto Morris St.
Take the 1st right onto Spring St. Take the 1st left onto Water St.
Take the 1st right onto Speedwell Ave. Turn left onto Early St

"Hidden" Spinach Smoothie

Looking for a way to incorporate leafy greens into your picky eater's diet?  Try this delicious smoothie featuring "hidden" spinach and strawberries.  Spinach is a powerhouse vegetable high in nutritional value.  Among its many vitamins and minerals, fresh spinach contains Vitamin A (especially Lutein) which promotes healthy eyes, Vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant, and Folic Acid which prevents anemia by helping the body to produce red blood cells.

Spinach and Strawberry Smoothie
1 1/2 Cups of plain, lowfat yogurt
6 Cups of fresh whole leaf baby spinach, washed
2 Cups of frozen strawberries
2 TBS of honey

Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth. 
Serve and enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of http://www.veggiecation.com/

Representing Redwood School

Massimo McCormick's harvested cabbage, weighing 16.5 pounds.   Massimo will be representing Redwood School  in the Bonnie Plant Cabbage Contest.

NOT ONLY IS THE GARDEN GROWING, SO ARE OUR STUDENTS!!!

LOOK HOW MUCH OUR STUDENTS ARE GROWING, 

AND THE GARDEN TOO!

A third grader and his little brother, doing some weeding in the Redwood garden.

This was their favorite plant.

Aidan picked one tiny red tomato the first week. He had it with his salad and said it was delicious.

The boys working on our new section during our second week. They absolutely love the garden.

Things are really growing. It’s awesome to watch.

Harvesting a few green tomatoes.

About once a year, we treat ourselves to fried green tomatoes. our family loves them, so he couldn’t resist.

Happy Gardeners

Our harvest from the Redwood Garden. Delicious. Thank you.