Category : Life Lab in the News
Life Lab grows gardeners through ‘the power of garden-based learning’ – Santa Cruz Sentinel
Posted on at Santa Cruz Sentinel June 14, 2018 By Calvin Men View as PDF When you ask John Fisher how he knows school gardens have an impact, he’s quick to pluck a memory from years ago. Third graders were out in a garden and among them was a recent immigrant [...]

Plant It, Grow It, Eat It! Workshop Teaches Garden-Based Nutrition
View this article in the Santa Cruz Sentinel By Devika Garg-Bansal SANTA CRUZ >> Kids and vegetables are not exactly best friends. Parents know this all too well, as do restaurants that put out mac and cheese on kids’ menus. But the t [...]

Making Waves
It was a pleasant surprise to see Life Lab as the featured non-profit in the Aug/Sept 2015 issue of Santa Cruz Waves. They did a great job summarizing what we do. Thanks Linda Koffman and Santa Cruz Waves. [...]

Spring 2013 Newsletter
View The May 2013 Garden Times - Life Lab's Newsletter Program Updates What We Have Been Up To Since Our Last Newsletter Meet our Senior Program Associate - Amber Turpin and her baby Hazel Update on the California School Garden Training Program California FoodC [...]
Small Hands, Big Garden
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. [...]
Turning Teachers into Gardeners in Washington D.C.
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 re [...]
December 2012 Life Lab Newsletter
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: H [...]
“Food, What?!” Youth Maya Salsedo is named as Brower Youth Awardee
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 muc [...]
Spotlight on Life Lab’s Education Director
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 ju [...]
Good Times ~ “Food, What?!” Selected for Good Times Community Fund
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 [...]
Santa Cruz Weekly ~ “Food, What?!” Strawberry Blast Serves Hundreds of Teens
The Life Lab Garden Classroom and UCSC Farm played host to hundreds of Santa Cruz Teens during the "Food, What?!" Strawberry Blast. The local press was there to cover the event: Santa Cruz Weekly Strawberry Blast An Eye-Opener for Students had this to say: H [...]
The Eddy ~ “Food, What?!” Wins Eddy Award
The Santa Cruz Education Foundation's Eddy Wellness Award was presented to Food, What on May 3, 2011. The Eddy Awards recognize excellence in education. Congrats to our five year old program that has gone from serving 5 kids in 2007 to 54 students this year! &ldqu [...]
2011 ~ City of Santa Cruz Declares May 1, 20ll “Garden Classroom Day”
Santa Cruz City Council Member David Terrazas surprised us all at our May Day Benefit Brunch by declaring the day Garden Classroom Day in the City of Santa Cruz. The resolution was officially proclaimed at the May 10 city council meeting. View the Mayor's Proclamati [...]
Good Times ~ “Food, What?!” Director Honored with a Nextie Award
Santa Cruz NEXT is committed to providing a fun, hip and diverse environment to discuss issues affecting the next generation of our community. They highlight and promote access to and development of economic, social and cultural opportunities, and are a catalyst for con [...]
Good Times ~ “Food, What?!” Youth Able John Highlighted
In the December 15th cover story "Smells Like Teen Spirit" of the GoodTimes, Food, What youth participant Able John was highlighted along with 5 other inspiring youth. Able states: “I remember being really small and not liking vegetables very much, but m [...]
Good Times ~ From Field to Able – “Food, What?!” Youth Program
A nice article from The GoodTimes 11.2.2010 The Youth Crew at Food, What?! mixes farming-based curriculum with personal, business, community and networking skills Since 1979 Santa Cruz’s nonprofit Life Lab organization has built a fine boutique of garden-based [...]
Benefit Event on GoodTimes TV
Life Lab's Annual Benefit was so great this year that the local media came to make a video of it:-) Greg Archer of the GoodTimes finds out what Life Lab is all about. [...]
Santa Cruz Sentinel ~ Strawberries are a Blast
"Food,What?!" Strawberry Youth Blast coverage from the Santa Cruz Sentinel -- All things strawberry were the focus at the UCSC Farm and Garden Wednesday, as 300 county high and middle school students joined volunteers from Food, What?! for the 2010 Strawberry [...]
Life Lab’s Oral History
Four key figures in Life Lab's history have been documented as part of UCSC's Cultivating a Movement: An Oral History Series on Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Farming on California's Central Coast. This oral history project conducted by the Regional Oral His [...]
Top of the Class
Life Lab's Executive Director Gail Harlamoff was recently interviewed for the following cover story of the GoodTimes. Top of the Class: Five UC Santa Cruz innovators break the creative mold with projects destined to make a positive difference ...Harlamo [...]
30th Anniversary Year In Review
Our 30th year of brining learning to life in a garden was celebrated with many special events. Thanks to all who celebrated with us.Our School Garden Video Contest had 18 entries, see the winner here.Birthday Essay Series: The Garden: A Master Teacher was written b [...]
“Food, What?!” Harvest Fest in the Sentinel
The Santa Cruz Sentinel covered our largest youth Harvest Fest to date.The article "A field trip to chew on: teens run organic food festival"quotes this student participant:Lorraine Medina talks fast and waves her arms when you ask her about vegetables."Chard and kale. [...]
Life Lab in Japan
Our Friends from Keisen University in Toyko have visited Life Lab on a couple of occasions. This women's university has a keen interest in garden-based education. Their faculty attended a workshop in the Garden Classroom and they brought back almost every Life Lab publ [...]
“Food, What?!” on National TV!
Eco Company TV created this video on our "Food, What?!" Spring Afterschool Internship. It aired across the nation on over 100 TV stations.http://www.eco-company.tv/tvshow/episode-102-organic-growing [...]
Life Lab Honored by US Congress
Congressman Sam Farr recognized Life Lab's 30 year of service to our community and the nation through a Congressional Record on September 10, 2009.He writes:... Programs such as the Life Lab Garden Classroom, Waste Free Schools and the Monterey Bay Science Program serv [...]
Back to School with Gaia
Life Lab's Education Director Whitney Cohen speaks with Lee Welles of Radio Gaia. Whitney discusses how she got involved with school gardens and power of garden based learning.Listen to the Back to School with Gaia episode here (Life Lab is featured about 5 minutes into [...]
Family Friendly Employer Award
Life Lab was again recognized as an Honorable Mention for the United Way of Santa Cruz County's Family Friendly Employer Awards. This award recognizes employers who support employees in their roles as parents. A Family Friendly Employer: 1.Benefits, policies and program [...]
“Food, What?!” Harvest Fest on KSBW News
KSBW TV News was on hand at our 2008 Harvest Fest that served hundreds of Middle and High School Students from Santa Cruz County. Check out their news report and how the reporters were trying to get the right inflection on the words "FOOOOD.....WHHAT!!!??!!!"See fe [...]
“Food, What?!” Strawberry Blast
Taken from the Santa Cruz Sentinel Article "County students dig in at 'Strawberry Blast"":Nearly 100 students from across the county traveled to the UC Santa Cruz Farm and Garden Friday to learn about the social benefits and epicurean delights of fresh, organic and loca [...]
2007 ~ Food, What?! ~ A Youth Empowerment Program
From the early days of the Garden Classroom there were always visions of offering programming for teens. "Food, What?!" has fulfilled that vision:"FOOD, WHAT?!" is a youth empowerment program using food, through sustainable agriculture and health, as the vehicle for bri [...]
2006 ~ Garden Classroom Selected as CDE Regional Training Center
In collaboration with the UCSC Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems the Garden Classroom is selected to serve as the Central Coast Garden-Based Learning Resource Center. The resource center provides free workshops and consulting to school garden programs [...]
Life Lab in the News 2005-2007
View press from the Salinas Californian, Watsonville Register - Pajaronian, and more. Press 2005-2007 Click album to view and zoom articles. [...]
2000 ~ The Garden Classroom: Life Lab’s Model Educational Garden
In 2000 construction begins for the latest chapter in Life Lab's history. In collaboration with the UCSC Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) The Garden Classroom annually serves thousands of pre-schoolers through adults in garden-based learning a [...]
Life Lab in the News 1995-1999
View press from the San Francisco Chronicle, Monterey Herald. Santa Cruz Sentinel, San Jose Mercury, and more. Press 1995-1999 Click to view and zoom articles. [...]
Life Lab in the News 1990-1994
View press from the Columbus Dispatch, Santa Cruz Sentinel, and more. Press 1990-1994 Click to view and zoom articles. [...]
Life Lab in the News 1985-1989
View press from USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, San Jose Mercury, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Modesto Bee, and more. Press 1985-1989 Click to view and zoom all 29 articles. [...]