We have been collecting your stories, quotes, and phrases that demonstrate why farm or garden-based education is important.
See the entries here and vote for the ones you like.
The top three from our top ten list will win a copy of our award winning Kids' Garden Activity Cards or The Book of Gardening Projects for Kids. All comments … [Read More →]
Have a joke or riddle of your own? Share it in the comments below.
Have you seen this insert in your local press? 
Small Hands, Big Garden highlights Life Lab's Book of Gardening Projects for Kids.
A story created by national syndicator Content That Works for their Homestyle Magazine.… [Read More →]
More info. at www.lifelab.org/camp… [Read More →]
The public is invited to an upcoming Portland Garden Club talk presented by Life Lab's Outreach Director John Fisher..jpg)
The Garden: A Master Teacher
Thursday, April 18 Social: 9:30 Program/Meeting: 10:15
Optional box lunch and workshop to follow program
Register at The Portland Garden Club
Taken from the Portland Garden Club….
We know that gardeners aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty, and our May speaker, John Fisher, is going to … [Read More →]
Life Lab has been delighted to work with a very forward-thinking organization in the nation's capital, DC Greens, to train garden coordinators through their Growing Garden Teachers program. DC Greens' innovative approach to regional school garden support was recently highlighted in the Washington Post article Helping Turn Teachers into Gardeners. DC's Healthy Schools Act is one of the main forces behind the area's broad school wellness efforts. This … [Read More →]
In our amazing Garden Classroom and beyond, Life Lab has trained tens of thousands of educators. Join us as we bring learning to life in the garden!
Saturday, September 21, 2013 – 9AM-3PM
Sowing the Seeds of Wonder: Discovering the Garden in Early Childhood Education (Grades PreK-K) - Cost: $150/person. 1 semester unit of graduate education credit available for an additional $60. Registration deadline: Sept 7, … [Read More →]
Life Lab participated in an Edible Schoolyard Google Hangout on the topic of training garden-based educators. We were one of five programs to share different training models and strategies for creating and sustaining school garden programs.
Featured Participants and Programs:
John Fisher, Outreach Director, Life Lab and California School Garden Training Program
Whitney Cohen, Education Director, Life Lab
Ellen Robinson, Programs and Services Manager, REAL School Gardens
Jane Hirschi, Executive … [Read More →]
You don't want to miss our December 2012 Newsletter.
Garden Tips and Educator Resources
Planting Fruits Trees and Vines in School Gardens
Sustaining School Gardens – Funding Garden Coordinators
Book Review: Our School Garden!
Recipe: Honey Seed Snacks
10% Off All Life Lab Publications
Program Updates
What We Have Been Up To Since Our Last Newsletter
Welcome New Staff – Audries and Alex
Update on … [Read More →]
School gardens are fantastic! (To be convinced, view The Garden, A Master Teacher) But that's not what this article's about, so let me start over. School gardens are fantastic, and they require a tremendous amount of work. Which begs the question: Who can do all the work involved in growing a school garden?
There is a groundswell of public support for … [Read More →]
FoodCorps California, managed by Co-Host Sites Life Lab and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, has selected ten organizations to place twelve service corps members across the state in 2013-2014, pending funding. Twenty-five organizations and school districts applied to be Service Sites.
The following organizations, which include a mix of school districts, non-profit, and university organizations, will be included in the AmeriCorps Education Award application to bring FoodCorps to California.… [Read More →]
Books reflect our lives and the times that we are living, as the details that form the content weave cultural elements of any given place and time into the words. For this reason, seeing a children’s book about school gardens is a heartening symbol of our current society. It signifies the exciting fact that parents and kids are recognizing the school garden as a common entity.
The new book, “Our … [Read More →]
We are pleased to share that Maya Salsedo, one of our first FoodWhat youth participants from 2007, was chosen from hundreds to receive the 2012 Brower Youth Awardees. Maya was selected for her work empowering youth with tools to advocate for a just food system.
See much more on Maya and her award including videos and an article from the GoodTimes at our FoodWhat.org page.
The Brower Youth Awards… [Read More →]
And we thought that our 30 plus years of school garden work at Life Lab was a long time. Check out these school garden publications from a 100+ years ago! There are some great illustrations and images in many.
The Beginner's Garden Book; A textbook for the upper grammar grades – 1914
Check out the Chard those kids are holding!!
Principles and Practice of School Gardening – 1913
The School … [Read More →]
You don't want to miss our Summer 2012 Newsletter.
Garden Tips and Educator Resources
Seed Saving Resources and Video
Growing Questions – Inquiry in the Garden
Teaching at a Farmer's Market
Recipes: Zucchini Baba Ganoush and More
Discount on K-12 Sustainability Education Certificate
YardMap.org – Citizen Science
Program Updates
What We Have Been Up To Since Our Last Newsletter
Thank You, Gail!
Update on the … [Read More →]
Between our summer day camps and "Food, What?!" youth program we are cooking all summer long, literally.
Here's a sample of some of what we eat:
Download Garden Sprouts Summer Camp Recipes:
"Food, What?!" Cookbook can be found on the FoodWhat Eat Like Us Page
Breakfast
Meals and Sides
When kids explore Life Lab's Garden Classroom, questions naturally bubble to the surface. Giant drops of water on kohlrabi leaves, gophers peering out of their holes, and hummingbirds drinking from flower vases seem to ignite their curiosity.
We find students' questions and enthusiasm for learning absolutely invigorating, particularly in today's educational climate. With such a strong emphasis on tests to determine if students have learned the answers to various questions, … [Read More →]
Dear Life Lab Friends,
This summer I am stepping out of my role as executive director of Life Lab to fulfill a lifelong dream of becoming a business owner in Santa Cruz. Soon my family and I will open Westside Farm and Feed at Mission and Swift Streets. This is an exciting time for me and for Life Lab, and I look forward to staying involved in new ways, including … [Read More →]
Family Book Talk & Demonstration
Sunday, July 15th @ 4pm
Garden Tips and Recipe
Make a Human Sundial
Edible Crop Planning
Recipe – Kale Salad
Program Updates
The Book of Garden Projects for Kids
Update on the California School Garden Training Program
In the Community Spotlight
Youth Food Bill of Rights
What We Have Been Doing Since Our Last Newsletter
Meet Our Garden Educator – Amy Carlson
Upcoming Events
Spring and Summer Garden … [Read More →]
The human sundial in our garden never fails to fascinate children and adults alike. To use it a person stands on the appropriate month marked on the ground and their shadow is cast on a numbered marker that tells the time. A human sundial or analemmatic sundial differs from a common sundial in that the gnomon, which casts the shadow, is not angled. The gnomon (a person) in a human sundial … [Read More →]
The last two days at the Garden Classroom have been buzzing. Today we shook out two hives that came in via mail order. We initiated the observational hive and a normal hive. The day before a hive landed in a rosemary bush.
Shaking in the Observation Hive
Swarm Has Landed
On Sunday April 26th The Slow Coast Green Fondo 56 mile fundraising ride will raise funds for Food What?!.
Hop on your bike and ride for Food What! The bike ride will take you through some of the most beautiful spots in Santa Cruz County. At the end of the ride enjoy a three course Slow Food Dinner with wine!
Not ready to ride? You can choose to support a … [Read More →]
The GoodTimes recognized the work of Life Lab's Education Director Whitney Cohen.
The Community Spotlight:
"Like so many adults, I assumed for many years that kids didn't like vegetables," recalls Whitney Cohen. "As it turns out, this myth is just dead wrong." As the Education Director for local nonprofit, Life Lab, since 2007, Cohen has been using knowledge of the universal love of fresh produce as a teaching tool for
You don't want to miss our Winter 2012 Newsletter.
Garden Tips and Lessons
Lesson – Six Seed Trail Mix
Making Garden Signs – Tips and Photos
Lesson Packet – Feeling Fine With Fresh Foods
Recipe – Winter Squash Teacakes
Program Updates
2011 Program Highlights
Announcing the California School Garden Training Program
Sharing Adventures With Others
"Food, What?!" Photo-of-the-Month – Sign Up
Meet Our Outreach Director – … [Read More →]
Life Lab, along with organizational partners from the UC Davis Childrens' Garden Program and the Resource Conservation District of Greater San Diego, will train 1,500 educators, volunteers, parents and school garden support professionals throughout the state of California!
From 2012 – Spring 2014 we will:
– Conduct 21 free workshops for school garden teams working to create or enhance school gardens.
- -Lead 12 train the trainers workshops for school … [Read More →]
Annuals plants go from a planted seed to producing a seed within a year. They complete their whole lifecycle in one year or season. Annual plants make up most of our vegetable crops, and many of them can be harvested within 2 to 3 months after sowing. (Bi-annual plants are simliar to annuals but they may live up to two years before producing seeds and coming … [Read More →]
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Feeling Fine With Fresh Foods
Lesson packet from our Feeling Fine with Fresh Foods Field Trip.
Our winter field trip helps students make the important connection between their health and the foods they choose. Classes explore our Garden Classroom and the UCSC Farm, and activities prepare students to make informed decisions about what they eat.
Download the pre/post visit lesson packet (25 pages) for 3rd-5th grades which includes:
In the Life Lab Garden Classroom, we consider a good sign to be one that
you don't have to repair year after year … unless, of course, you want
sign making to be a project for your students year after year.
By labeling the plants in their garden, kids learn about them and make
the connections between the foods they eat and the plants growing
in the garden. Adults also … [Read More →]
In 1996 Life Lab was a 17 year old organization. Now at the ripe old age of 33 it is fun to look back at what we were sharing during our wild teen years.
Really not much has changed. Well, except the hairdos, computers and a few other things, but all in all school gardens were based on the same concepts as today. Sun, soil, water and air mixed with … [Read More →]
It has been another successful season of growth, learning and wonder for Life Lab and the thousands of kids, youth, families, teachers and schools we serve. Hear what our program participants had to say about our work in in our 2011 Highlights flier.
2011 by the numbers:
A great extension to a seed study lesson. Make a trail mix of edible seeds while students practice math skills. While eating your trail mix discuss all the ways we eat seeds and grains. Download seed cards and lesson.… [Read More →]
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| Life Lab Holiday Roller Party |
We are looking forward to a new year of bringing learning to life in a garden.
As we get ready to roll we invite you to take a look at our staff holiday party pics. The Santa Cruz Roller Palladium hosted our mini-gala. Not quite like most staff holiday parties, but we sure had fun!… [Read More →]
Our "Food, What?!" Youth Program was selected as one of four programs in the Good Times Community Fund.
We have the goal to raise $12,500 through the Good Times Community Fund. Right now, every dollar donated will be matched. Please Consider a Year-End Donation to Keep FoodWhat Going and Growing in 2012! Every bit counts–from $10 to $10,000–each contribution will keep us strong and supports local youth! 
View the … [Read More →]
Life Lab partnered with Shared Adventures, a local nonprofit which organizes recreation activities for people with special needs, to host an inclusive Farm-to-Fork Field Trip for 14 adults and 2 children from the special needs community. View the photos. Despite mobility limitations, our field trip participants explored the CASFS Farm and harvested a medley of fruits and vegetables to taste as they identified edible plant parts. One culinary … [Read More →]
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