As fall approaches in Albuquerque the weather might be starting to cool down, but efforts to grow school gardens are heating up.

On Saturday the 25^th, the Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) Growing Gardens Team hosted a workshop titled “Gardening Workshop for Educators and School Gardening Enthusiasts.” The event, held at Jimmy Carter Middle School, successfully brought together educators, gardeners and local food devotees, who are interested in supporting and further developing the school gardening movement in Albuquerque.

The workshop was chock full of valuable information presented by experienced gardeners, educators and experts in their field. Overall the workshop covered:

• Gardening in Albuquerque basics:  soil, water, sun, mulch, and more
• Seasonal Planting:  what to plant and when
• Garden Bugs:  the good, the bad and the ugly
• Classroom management and tips on gardening with kids

The content was aimed at educators wanting to get an in-depth overview of how to get a school garden up and running, yet there was a wealth of information provided that individual or community gardeners could learn from. There were plenty of take-home handouts provided by NMSU Extension, seed packets for attendees to plant in their school gardens, and the Growing Gardens Team handbook: Growing the Classroom: A Handbook on Gardening in Albuquerque Public Schools. This handbook, along with their report developed earlier this year (Growing the ‘Outdoor Classroom’: A Report on School Gardens in Albuquerque Public Schools), are important tools for educators interested in getting garden projects started at their school.

The Experts and Their Expertise

Whitney Kane, a Social Worker with the Grant Middle School Behavior Intervention Program, opened the workshop with a hands-on seed planting demo that allowed participants to ground themselves (pun intended) with the soil, breathing life in to a new living being. She later presented on ideal classroom management policies and safety practices when gardening with kids.

John Garlisch, an Agent with the NMSU Cooperative Extension Service, presented on how to garden with kids, offering valuable advice and some fresh ideas, including the idea of “gardening as sneaky education.” In other words, kids get to learn about science, nutrition, history and culture, among other things, by doing fun and immersive activities as opposed to sitting in a classroom at a desk. He provided a list of kid-friendly plants, safety tips, and gave an overview of how to start and maintain a garden. He also spoke about insects, giving an extensive low-down on both the bothersome, beneficial and “cute” bugs typically found in our region.

Cheryl Rosel, a Bernalillo County Horticulture Agent, presented on soils, enlightening the participants on soil biology, health, textures and water holding capacity, as well as the challenges with soils often faced in New Mexico. She also discussed various options for soil testing, including fun activities that can engage youth in soils education.

More About the Growing Gardens Team

Employees and community members formed the team during the 2009-2010 school year. These individuals identified the need for school gardens across all grade levels and wanted to find ways to work together to implement these types of opportunities within the APS District.

The current team, some of whom contributed to “Growing the Classroom: A Handbook on Gardening in Albuquerque Public Schools,” includes:

• Le Adams - Farm to School Program Director, Farm to Table
• Olivia Andrade de Sanchez, Environmental Health Supervisor, City of Albuquerque
• Mary Erwin - 3rd Grade Teacher, Bandelier Elementary School, Albuquerque Public
• Schools
• Christianna Cappelle - Project Facilitator, Gardener’s Guild
• John Garlisch - Agent, NMSU Cooperative Extension Service
• Whitney Kane - Social Worker, Grant Middle School, Behavior Intervention Program, Albuquerque Public Schools
• Jennie McCary - Wellness Manager, Albuquerque Public Schools
• Cara McCulloch, Architect and Community Volunteer
• Nissa Patterson - Community Volunteer
• Becky Pierce - Board member, Rio Grande Community Farm and Horticulture Therapist
• Tess Grasswitz - Urban/Small Farm IPM Specialist, NMSU Agricultural Science Center, Los Lunas
• Joran Viers - Horticulture Agent, Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension Service/NMSU
• Susan Smith - Resource Teacher, Title I, Albuquerque Public Schools

Resources

 NMSU Cooperative Extension Service Handouts (more available here): 

• Backyard Composting - Guide H-110
• Growing Peppers in New Mexico Gardens - Guide H-240
• Circular 457-B: Growing Zones, Recommended Crop Varieties, and Planting and Harvesting Information for Home Vegetable Gardens in New Mexico
• Home Garden Strawberry Production in New Mexico - Guide H-324
• Organic Gardening: Natural Insecticides - Guide H-150
• Spices and Herbs for the Home Garden - Guide H-221
• Vegetable Variety Recommendations for New Mexico Backyard and Market Gardens - Circular 572
• Vermicomposting - Guide H-164
• When to Harvest Vegetables - Guide H-216

Growing Gardens Team Suggested Local Resources:

• American Friends Service Committee, Building a Community Garden: A Collaboration of New Mexico Farmers and Educators handbook
• Bernalillo County Extension Office
• City of Albuquerque Backyard Composting
• Farm to Table NM
• Gardeners’ Guild
• New Mexico Ag in the Classroom
• Project Wet
• Rio Grande Community Farm
• Soilutions
• Veggiegrower Gardens