Edible Gardens Seed Farm-to-School Efforts

Advocates celebrate a season of growing & prepare for Farm-to-School month 

[LIBERTY, NY] – Sullivan 180 along with educators, farmers, and advocates for hands-on garden education gathered for the annual fall Catskill Edible Garden Project (CEGP) Garden Coordinator  Meeting on September 30th at Gael Roots Community Farm in Livingston Manor, NY.

The Catskill Edible Garden Project, a collaboration between Sullivan 180, Catskill Mountainkeeper, and Cornell Cooperative Extension, works with schools, daycares, and youth-focused non-profits to design edible gardens as outdoor educational and gathering spaces.  Through the Project, youth gain hands-on experience growing their own food while working as a team outdoors.

Garden Coordinators gathered with representatives from Sullivan 180, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Catskill Mountainkeeper to celebrate the accomplishments of the season and to look forward to future opportunities.  Iris Fen Gillingham of Gael Roots Community Farm focuses on offering educational farm opportunities for community members of all ages.  This includes youth field trips and high school internships on the farm.

Nicole Rasnick, one of the Garden Coordinators for Rockland Elementary School, said, “It’s little moments like these—a gathering of gardeners at a beautiful farm discussing ways to teach kids to garden, a gaggle of 3rd graders picking garden soup—moments that make me love the opportunity to work with Sullivan 180.”

The next Catskill Edible Garden Project grant cycle opens on November 15th and applications can be found at sullivan180.org. Each site that participates in CEGP, including 13 schools, one daycare, and one community garden, has a Garden Coordinator as a point person to lead activities. 

October is National Farm-to-School Month.  Many activities are planned, including installing new edible school gardens and coordinating local chefs as guests for interactive cooking lessons with local produce in classrooms.  Several schools, such as Sullivan West Elementary, celebrate a Farm-to-School Day or the Big Apple Crunch (coordinated by Cornell Cooperative Extension) where students take a bite at a set time together of a New York-grown apple.

For more information about how to get involved with the Catskill Edible Garden Project contact Eva Bednar at eva@sullivan180.org.