Knock, Knock…

Have a joke or riddle of your own? Share it in the comments below.

• What did the doctor remove from her salad? Kidney beans!
• Why do worms act so frightened? They have no backbone.
• What is an ant? A hard-working bug that still finds time to go to lots of picnics.
• Why do you have to be careful about telling a secret in a cornfield? Because the corn
… [Read More →]

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 →]

Life Lab is a national leader in farm- and garden-based education. At the Life Lab Garden Classroom in Santa Cruz, California, we promote experiential learning for all ages through children’s camps, field trips, youth and internship programs, and teacher workshops.

Drawing on over thirty years of working with students we have also created curricula and workshops for educators interested in bringing learning to life in gardens nationwide.… [Read More →]

Register

Please consider supporting Life Lab. Go to www.lifelab.org/donate.… [Read More →]

• Spring Break Camp for 4-6 year olds
• Wildlands & Watering Cans Summer Day Camp for 7-10 year olds 
• Garden Sprouts Camp Summer Day Camp for 4-6 year olds 
• Farm & Wilderness Summer Day Camp for 11-14 year olds

More info. at www.lifelab.org/camp… [Read More →]

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 →]

View Details and Register

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 →]

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.

In This Issue

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 →]

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.

In This Issue

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 →]

Here's a sample of some of what we eat:

Download Garden Sprouts Summer Camp Recipes:

• Pesto
• Pesto Ranch Dip
• Honey Seed Snacks
• Green Garden Smoothies
• Zucchini Baba Ganoush

"Food, What?!" Cookbook can be found on the FoodWhat Eat Like Us Page

Breakfast

• Breakfast Burrito
• Quiche
• Granola

Meals and Sides

• Stir Fry
• Veggies a
… [Read More →]

Educator Resources for Teaching About Seeds

• A Handful of Seeds: Seed-Saving and Seed Study for Educators – free download with practical information on seed saving in the school garden and seed history and lore.
• Fedco Seeds has multiple seed fundraising opportunities. Additionally they have a free seed activity guide book From Generation to Generation An Activity Guidebook in the Living Tradition of Seed Saving
• Seed to Seed Food Gardens
… [Read More →]

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 →]

View Newsletter

View Archives

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 →]

Shaking in the Observation Hive

Swarm Has Landed

… [Read More →]

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 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

… [Read More →]

View front and back cover… [Read More →]

You don't want to miss our Winter 2012 Newsletter.

In This Issue

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 →]

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 →]

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:

• Stone Soup
… [Read More →]

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 →]

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:

• 3,100 children participated in field trips and camps at our Garden Classroom
   
• 893 teens grew stronger, healthier and more inspired though "Food,
… [Read More →]

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 →]

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 →]

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 →]