The benefits of cover crops for your garden’s soil are many and well documented–they help to keep your soil from eroding, they catch and accumulate nutrients, and their roots can break up compacted soil. One other major role that they can fill is as a habitat for insect life. The above picture is of the four beds that we have in winter cover crops ( a mix of clover, vetch, rye, tritacle,and wheat).
So what exactly is an edible schoolyard? If visions of playgrounds made of candy pop into your head, you’re probably wondering why the Greensboro Children’s Museum would promote such a program. In reality though, the Edible Schoolyard is an educational program comprised of hands-on organic teaching gardens and kitchen classrooms where children are involved in every aspect of farming, preparing, and coming to the table to enjoy the food grown. The first Edible Schoolyard was created at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, CA through collaboration with chef and food activist Alice Waters.
The Greensboro Children’s Museum will be the first museum in the country to be affiliated with Alice Waters and the Chez Panisse Foundation, and will serve as a national model for other museums and children’s institutions to follow. The Greensboro Children’s Museum has a unique opportunity to educate children, their families and their teachers about the benefits of heath and wellness by adding an Edible Schoolyard and teaching kitchens that will encourage educational play and offer engaging, life learning activities. This is Greensboro’s opportunity to “step up to the plate” and be known for a positive, distinctive and unique project with national implications and exposure.
Leading up to our Grand Opening celebration on May 22nd, there is LOTS to do in preparing the garden and kitchens. Keep track of us by continuing to read our blog, where we’ll be posting our progress and other interesting articles. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook.
Greensboro Children's Museum Edible Schoolyard Logo
