by Melanie Taylor | May 22, 2015
Planting Time
Did you know that something as simple as a garden can help youth not only learn to love vegetables, but also improve their science scores? Fifth-graders at Port St. Joe and Wewahitchka Elementary Schools experienced the benefits of gardening this year through the 4-H Seed to Plate Program. This program teaches youth how to plant, maintain, and harvest a vegetable garden, and is part of the science curriculum taught by 5th grade teachers.
Before the 130 students ever stepped foot in the garden they spent class time discussing the act of planting, the role that bees play in pollination and took a field trip to the North Florida Research and Education Center for 4-H Ag Adventures Day. This program is under the direction of Gulf County Extension Director Roy Lee Carter. The garden program is also supplemented with nutritional and food safety programs taught by Gulf County 4-H/Family & Consumer Science Agent, Melanie Taylor and Family Nutrition Program Assistant, Kay Freeman.
Carter said that the fifth grade is the ideal age level to learn gardening because the students are able to retain what they learn, and apply their new skills at home. The program is part of the science classes taught by the fifth-grade teachers each year. David and Sally Beyl have been volunteers with the program for the last seven years. Both are Master Gardeners who trained at the University of Florida for 12 weeks and contribute more than 50 hours of horticulture-related volunteer work each year.
“The students love it,” said David Beyl. “You can tell that they enjoy the experience.”
Harvest Time
A portion of what grows in the gardens was donated by Bonnie Plants in Alabama, the Florida Farm to School program, and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. The Farm to School Partnership (administered by IFAS) works with local farmers to improve the supply of fresh produce to schools. Cabbage, lettuce, strawberries, potatoes, carrots, onions, eggplant, watermelon, beans, peppers, squash, sugarcane and various herbs made up this year’s garden with produce grown in-ground and in pots. “We use pots to show the students that even if you don’t have room for a garden, you can still have a garden,” Beyl said. In small groups, students learned how to plant seeds, rake, fertilize, cultivate, and harvest. Students even took home cabbages, carrots and potatoes to prepare and share with their families. Those who had an interest in starting their own gardens were given seeds to plant at home.
The highlight of the program is a luncheon prepared by cafeteria staff with produce grown by students. Everything the students munched on came from the garden they spent eight months cultivating. Both school principals are supportive and find this hands-on opportunity a great addition to the science program. This 4-H and public school collaboration is a very successful, educational and fun-filled learning experience.
If you have a green thumb, consider going “totally green” as a 4-H gardening volunteer or Master Gardener. 4-H needs caring adults like you to share their knowledge and passion for gardening with the next generation. Through the 4-H gardening project, youth not only learn gardening knowledge and skills, they also learn responsibility, teamwork, and other life skills that will help them grow up to be compassionate and competent citizens. To get involved, contact your local UF IFAS Extension Office, or visit http://florida4h.org./volunteers.
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by Jena Gilmore | May 15, 2015
4-H School Gardens help youth learn about science, food and nutrition, and life skills such as responsibility.
Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow?
With 4-H volunteers, Essential Elements of Positive Youth Development, and UF IFAS Extension all in a row!
School gardens have become the perfect avenue to implement experiential learning. They provide the students with a safe environment which fosters cooperative learning, and focuses on nurturing the essential elements youth require in order to become competent caring citizens. Joe Crozier is a Master Gardener and 4-H volunteer in Walton County. Joe has extensive knowledge in gardening including container gardening and hydroponics. Joe has shared his success and expertise in hydroponics through Master Gardener workshops in the Florida panhandle. However, Joe has a passion for sharing his knowledge with children through the 4-H gardening project and was recruited by the Assistant Principal at Freeport Elementary to begin gardening with the 4th Grade classes.
When asked what inspires Joe to continue to be a 4-H Volunteer, he says “The questions the students ask, and most of all, the smiles on their faces as they plant seeds and become part of the 4-H School Garden Program.”
The 4-H School Garden at Freeport Elementary would not have been possible without Joe’s volunteer service
Last year, Joe developed a raised bed garden at Freeport Elementary, which has now expanded to include a bean tee-pee and additional beds. Each student had their own section, per their request, in order to master their green thumb. Prior to this, and the ignition to their new found passion for gardening, the students participated in the “Potato Project,” and grew potatoes in laundry baskets. The students were amazed that this was possible, not to mention the quantity and quality of potatoes that emerged! Once the potatoes were harvested, the children prepared them for cooking and the lunchroom returned the favor by providing each classroom with their own piping hot buttery new potatoes. Children who wouldn’t normally touch vegetables eagerly awaited the moment they could taste the fruit of their labor.
Joe has devoted countless hours to the 4-H School Gardens Program. When asked how 4-H has made a difference in the lives of the students at the school, Joe stated “They involve their parents when they take what they’ve learned in the garden home! Some children have never been taught how to garden or how to grow their own food. Spending time teaching these children makes me so happy and is so contagious that my family notices how proud I am of them.” Thanks to his diligence and dedication, more schools are eager to join the Potato Project and develop their own 4-H School Gardens in Walton County.
If you have a green thumb, consider going “totally green” as a 4-H gardening volunteer! 4-H needs caring adults like you to share their knowledge and passion for gardening with the next generation. Through the 4-H gardening project, youth not only learn gardening knowledge and skills, they also learn responsibility, teamwork, and other life skills that will help them grow up to be compassionate and competent citizens. To get involved, contact your local UF IFAS Extension Office, or visit http://florida4h.org./volunteers.
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by jgl1 | May 1, 2015
Outgrown clogs can make an excellent container garden.
Research shows that gardening in school and clubs positively influences youth environmental attitudes, nutritional attitudes, self-esteem, test scores, school attitudes, interpersonal skills, social concerns and behavior. For example, students in third and fifth-grade who learn science through gardening scored higher than students who did not learn science through the use of a garden (National Gardening Association, 2002). The first step is helping your club or class select a garden style. The three most common types of gardens are raised-beds, container, and your typical in-ground garden. This article will provide some tips in helping you decide what type garden is perfect for your 4-H Club or 4-H Classroom.
Container Gardens– Container gardens are extremely kid-friendly and are an excellent choice if you have little space, poor soil, or are surrounded by cement and blacktop. Even the smallest outdoor nook can feature a thriving crop of vegetables, herbs, and flowers in containers.
Benefits of Container Gardening Include:
- Maximizing your space. You can take advantage of small areas like sunny window ledges and courtyards.
- Testing the waters. You may want to make sure gardening will work well with your club before committing lots of resources.
- Portability. If you are faced with challenges — vandalism and theft, or upcoming construction that will displace your plots — you can design container gardens that can be easily moved on a daily or seasonal basis.
- Soil control. By using containers, you can be confident about the safety of your growing media and enjoy eating your harvest. This is a concern where soil may be contaminated with lead or other industrial pollutants.
- Blacktop greening. Perhaps you are in an area void of soil and green space. You can place containers on concrete or cement surfaces.
- Deer, rabbits, and other wildlife are less likely to dine on plants in your container garden.
- Keep in mind though, that bigger is often better. The bigger your container, the more soil it will hold. In container gardening, more soil means better water retention, which means you have more latitude with watering and that usually increases your chances of success.
Jefferson County 4-H Agent, John Lilly, shows teachers how to prepare a raised bed garden.
Raised-bed Gardens– A raised bed garden is built from wood or plastic boards, typically four feet wide and as long as desired (four-feet-by-four feet for square foot gardening, up to 14 feet long rectangular beds). Because much of Florida soil is sandy and does not hold many nutrients, the deeper the garden beds, the better the soil will be. Many schools stack two boards on top of one another to achieve a 10 to 12-inch high garden bed, using 18-inch wooden stakes to keep the boards together. Potting mix, compost or garden sand from the site itself are added to fill the boxes, leaving two inches from the top as clearance. Raised beds help prevent kids from walking on delicate plant roots, clearly marks the boundaries of the bed and reduces some soil-borne pest problems. Clubs in urban areas have constructed raised beds directly on asphalt or concrete surfaces with successful results.
Benefits of Raised-Bed Gardening include:
- More control over the location of the garden
- Ability to choose the best soil for your particular plants
- More efficient draining
- Can be easier on backs and knees due to less bending and stooping
- Easier to keep out weeds
- The soil warms up earlier in a raised bed, so you can plant earlier and extend your growing season
The 4-H gardening project teaches valuable science and life skills.
In-Ground Gardens– Vegetables, fruit trees, and flowerbeds (such as butterfly gardens) can all grow directly in the ground, as farmers have for centuries. Gardens can be as small as four-feet-by-four-feet, or as large as the garden committee is willing to implement. Before planning a garden, dig several holes at the proposed site to collect soil samples for a pH test and to determine the soil type. Your local County Extension Office can test the soil. Most plants grow best with a pH of seven, but some have different pH requirements. Low-lying or seasonally moist areas will require different plants than high, dry, sunny areas with sandy soil.
Benefits of In-Ground Gardening Include:
- Use of existing soil. Most soils are perfectly fine for gardening, provided the soil is properly tilled, mulched and watered. Even without organic amendments, most soils can produce a bountiful harvest.
- Less start-up work (and cost). A flat, well-drained area can be quickly and easily prepared with a large rotor-tiller. You can also save on soil and bed or container materials.
- An in-ground garden can easily be replaced by another crop or moved to another location.
- Lower water requirements. In-ground beds won’t dry out as quickly as raised beds and will, therefore, require less water to maintain.
- Irrigation systems for flat, in-ground gardens are simple to design and easy to install compared to raise beds that require careful design and installation.
If you have a green thumb, consider going “totally green” as a 4-H gardening volunteer! 4-H needs caring adults like you to share their knowledge and passion for gardening with the next generation. Through the 4-H gardening project, youth not only learn gardening knowledge and skills, they also learn responsibility, teamwork, and other life skills that will help them grow up to be compassionate and competent citizens. To get involved, contact your local UF IFAS Extension Office, or visit http://florida4h.org./volunteers.
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by Heather Kent | Apr 13, 2015
Mrs. Ruth Ann Scurry has been a volunteer for the Jefferson County Hickory Hill 4-H Club for 20 years.
What keeps a volunteer motivated to serve for more than 20 years? If you ask Mrs. Ruth Ann Scurry, a Jefferson County 4-H club leader, she will tell you it’s about making a difference in a young person’s life! Mrs. Scurry raised three sons who were active 4-H members. Her son Kenya even competed at the state level with his demonstration on small engines. Her sons benefited so much from the 4-H program that when her youngest son graduated, she decided to start a 4-H club at her local church called the Hickory Hill 4-H Club. Twenty years later, she still leads this club which focuses on healthy living programs, as well as sewing, gardening, fishing, and consumer choices.
When asked what advice Mrs. Scurry has for club leaders, she shared, “you have to remember to keep the lessons you teach practical and hands on. When teaching nutrition, I show them what a portion size is and remind them to each like a king (breakfast), queen (lunch), and pauper (dinner). If you use examples and language they understand, they will remember. You also have to keep it fun. I make sure to plan a fun treat every now and then to keep the kids motivated and surprised and it works every time. They never want to miss a meeting!”
When asked what is most challenging about being a volunteer today, Mrs. Scurry says, “Many young people today live with only one parent, grandparent, or other relative. These families need help raising their children. 4-H encourages them to make good choices and helps them feel like they belong to an extended family- a 4-H family. 4-H helps them learn how to follow rules and to respect others. Being a good role model is important too. It’s so true that ‘it takes a village to raise a child.’”
Mrs. Scurry has helped build a “4-H village” of caring adult volunteers for her club. She offers simple yet sage advice on how to do this: “Get everyone involved.” She involves everyone from 5-years olds to 83 years old as members and volunteers in her club. She empowers them to make a difference in the lives of 4-H youth by finding out what their strength is, and then asking them to share that strength with the club through an activity, field trip, demonstration, or project.
Mrs. Scurry has not limited her service to just her club. She has also volunteered as a chaperone for 4-H Camp Cherry Lake, the North Florida Fair, and even spearheaded a volunteer appreciation luncheon for local volunteers and community leaders.
Mr. John Lilly, the Jefferson County Extension Director stated, “All of Ms. Scurry’s hard work and dedication affects the entire Jefferson County 4-H Program in a positive way. We are fortunate to have such a loyal and faithful volunteer leader.”
In honor of National Volunteer Appreciation Week, 4-H in the Panhandle is sharing stories of inspirational 4-H volunteers every day this week. if you find Mrs. Scurry’s story inspiring, consider becoming a volunteer yourself! Nearly 3,000 volunteers in the Florida panhandle are making a difference in the lives of more than 28,000 youth. In 4-H, you can leverage your experience and skills to help a young person find their own passions and interests. 4-H needs volunteers like you to inspire the next generation. To learn how to become a 4-H volunteer, contact your local Extension Office or visit http://florida4h.org/volunteers.
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by Whitney Cherry | Feb 6, 2015
Don’t let the weather ruin your club’s recreational time. Play inside!
It’s that time of year in North Florida when we’re not sure what we’ll wake up to each morning. We may be in short sleeves, sweatshirts, or hip waders and that can make planning a club meeting tough. During this time of year, between the cold and the rain, it’s seldom that our youth are allowed to go outside for PE. And in lower grades, where a gym may not be available, they are often not getting any significant amount of physical activity during the school day. This is neither good for their mental or physical health, so how can we combat the winter-blues in our club meetings? Here are a few suggestions:
Indoor relay and tag games: If space permits, move the furniture out of the way, and let the kids play freeze tag or have a relay race. Relays are often easy to relate to the educational topic of your meeting. Examples include:
- Set the table relay: where youth draw a piece of a table setting out of a paper bag, run to a table across the room, and put it in its proper place on the table. (the floor can be used in place of a table if need be.) The first team to correctly set the table wins.
- Salsa relay: youth put plastic tomatoes or peppers or onions or garlic between their knees and “run/waddle” around a cone, chair, or tape mark, at the other end of the room back to their team where they pass on their piece of food to the next team mate. The first team to have each player complete the task wins.
- Traditional balloon and ring races are always good too.
Exercise bingo: Contact your local extension office for a copy of exercise bingo. In this high intensity game, each youth or team of youth, is given a bingo card and a stack of exercise cards which face down on the floor. A teammate flips an exercise card, and each team member completes the task on the card (arm circles, pushups, jumping jacks, etc.) If their bingo card includes this exercise, the team captain marks that spot off of their card. Teammates take turn flipping exercise cards until they have Bingo. The first team to get Bingo wins.
Simon Says, Duck-Duck-Goose, London Bridge: These games require only a little space, and are still fun for younger youth, especially Cloverbuds (4-7 yrs). Simon says can often relate to your educational program as well. Ex – “Simon says comb your steer.” “Simon says, stir the batter.” “Simon says bait your hook.”
Legos, board games, etc.: It’s not very active, we know, but sometimes space just doesn’t allow for much physical activity, but it’s still important for youth to have time to interact with each other and relax. Be sure not to pick board games that may take hours to complete. Things like Charades, Guestures, Win, Lose or Draw, etc. are great options.
Now it’s your turn. Get creative, and in the comments section below, share with us the ideas you have for indoor recreation!
by Heather Kent | Jul 16, 2014
4-H Volunteers cook s ‘mores over the campfire at Camp Timpoochee
For many families, summer is synonymous with camping. Whether you are at 4-H Camp, a family camping trip, or a stay-at-home-vacation, cooking over the campfire is a fun (and yummy) activity that the whole family can enjoy. In support of the 4-H initiative for Healthy Living, we have selected 24-hours’ worth of delicious and nutritious food that your family can enjoy over your next campfire.
Breakfast Camporitos– this is a campfire version of breakfast burritos. Dice and sauté the veggies of your choice (we recommend onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, and/or potatoes). Place sautéed veggies in a bowl for later. Next, scramble your eggs. To assemble, spoon veggies and eggs onto a tortilla, then sprinkle with cheese. You can add a bit of salsa if preferred. Wrap your tortilla burrito style, then wrap the entire burrito in foil. Camporritos can be prepared and assembled in advance, and stored in a cooler until breakfast time. To serve, place the foil packets over the campfire for 5-7 minutes until the cheese is melted and the burritos are thoroughly heated through. Serve with seasonal fruit and orange juice or milk.
Campfire Calzones (for lunch or dinner)- use store-bought pizza dough or your favorite recipe. On a 2-foot section of aluminum foil, roll out a portion of pizza dough into a circle the size of a paper plate. Next, spoon on some tomato or marinara sauce, sprinkle with basil and oregano. Working on just one half of the circle, sprinkle on 1/3 cup of mozzarella cheese and add your favorite pizza toppings (we recommend pepperoni or ham, spinach, olives, and mushrooms). Fold the half of the dough without toppings over, and crimp the edges tightly, next fold over the aluminum foil, creating an envelope and crimp the foil together securely to make a foil packet. Place your packet over the grate or coals of your campfire. Bake your calzone 5-10 minutes on each side, depending on the temperature of your fire.
Campfire Veggie Dip (a tasty snack)- for this recipe, you will need a large, empty can that has been washed out. In the clean can, layer the following ingredients: Black beans, shredded cheese, salsa, fat free refried beans, and fresh cilantro. Place the can on the grate over your campfire and allow the contents to heat up. Once the cheese is melted and heated through, remove the can. Wrap the can with a festive bandana and serve the dip with carrots, bell pepper, broccoli, celery, or tomatoes.
Campfire Chili and Corn Bread in a Jar (for lunch or dinner)- in a clean mason jar, ladle a cup or two of your favorite chili. On top of the chili, place about 1/3 cup of your favorite cornbread dough (made from scratch or use a mix). You can screw on the jar lids to make the chili easier to transport. Place your jars over the campfire and allow them to back for 30-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cornbread comes out clean. By then, your chili should be thoroughly heated through. If you prefer, you can assemble this recipe in a large Dutch oven, rather than in individual jars.
Desert Campfire Cones– Stuff a waffle cone or bowl (not the regular sugar cones) with diced fresh strawberries and bananas, along with mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, or even peanut butter chips. Wrap your cone or bowl with aluminum foil, and place over the grate of the campfire. Rotate the foil packet every 1-2 minutes. After 5-7 minutes, your cone should be ready to eat. If you are camping in the fall, try a variation of this technique with diced apples and caramel sauce.
To learn more about the Florida 4-H Program and our Healthy Living Initiative, visit http://florida4h.org. If you are interested in volunteering or donating to 4-H, contact Heather Kent at hckent@ufl.edu.
