The Outreach Programs involve presentations in academic, corporate, agricultural, and community group settings. They promote conservation with a global perspective, encourage local action and introduce a variety of audiences to the concept of Community Supported Agriculture. They also advocate sustainable farming practices to people already involved in agriculture or contemplating involvement in agriculture. Staff, interns, and volunteers of Maysie's Farm have been involved in the production of a variety of newspaper articles, radio programs, and television stories.

2011 Day Cooking Camps for Kids at Maysie's Farm Conservation Center!

Maysie's Farm Conservation Center is excited to offer summer cooking camps for children ages 6 and up. These camps offer children the opportunity to understand where their food comes from, expand their taste buds and make proper choices when it comes to nourishing themselves. During the weeklong hands on program each child will learn how food grows. They will be given the opportunity to seed, transplant, harvest and prepare healthy, seasonally inspired dishes.

Kitchen safety, cooking techniques, and introductions to international cuisines are all part of the curriculum.

Each week's curriculum is tailored to the ability of the different age groups.

Upon registration, parents will receive a form to fill out regarding any allergies, food restrictions or other needs. We are very willing to accommodate any requests or special needs.

Camp Schedule & Prices

Week 1
July 11th - July 15th
6-9 year olds
9am - 1pm
$250 per child
CSA Members: $225

Week 2
July 18th - July 22nd
10-12 year olds
9am - 2 pm
$275 per child
CSA Members: $250

Week 3
July 25th - July 29th
13-17 year olds
9am - 2pm
$275 per child
CSA Members: $250

Family Dinner
On Saturday, July 30th, the chefs from the three groups will reconvene and have the opportunity to prepare and serve a delicious locally sourced seasonal meal for their families! $25 per adult

To register for cooking camp, e-mail Annmarie at ambutera@cucina-verde.com, or call 610-458-8129.


Farm and School Partnership

School Garden Project Grant Awarded — Project to Start in Fall 2006

Since last spring Maysie's Farm Conservation Center has provided locally grown lettuce, spinach, salad greens, carrots and more to the Montgomery School lunch program. Both students and staff enjoy the taste of these delicious, nutritious, just-harvested vegetables. This farm-fresh food is the product of the first step in forming the Farm and School Partnership between Maysie's Farm and the Montgomery School in support of the School's strategic goal relating to nutrition.

Montgomery School: Fourth grade students working with a Maysie's Farm teacher prepare to transplant spinach which will be served to them this winter in their school dining room

Montgomery School: Fourth grade students working with a Maysie's Farm teacher prepare to transplant spinach which will be served to them this winter in their school dining room.

Another component of the Farm and School Partnership is the creation of a demonstration garden on the school grounds where the students, staff and parents will be able to grow vegetables similar to the foods that are being introduced into the school dining room from the farm. Also, inter-disciplinary lessons will be taught in the new garden and may include subjects such as math, fine arts, language arts and the sciences. Maysie's Farm has been awarded a $2,500 grant from the Arthur and Marjorie Miller Fund of the Chester County Community Foundation to assist the School with creating the garden in the upcoming school year. The Montgomery School will provide matching funds of $1,500 through fund raising activities to complete the project.

The school garden project began early in the 2006-2007 school year with the recruitment of a variety of individuals including students, parents and staff who established a committee to take the lead in this project. Maysie's Farm staff arranged visits to gardens at other local schools with which they have been involved, and introduced the committee members to their peers at those schools. In the fall of 2006, the garden was established, consisting of nine raised beds filled with compost and planted in a winter cover crop. Teachers and students are looking forward to their first season of gardening!

By incorporating the garden into existing curricula, students and teachers will be engaged in researching appropriate crops and production techniques. Initially, Maysie's Farm will help supervise the growing process and facilitate the learning process, but ultimately the school garden will effectively integrate the topics of agriculture and nutrition into the daily routine at school, and the school community will thoroughly "own" the concept of a garden that is both a teaching tool and a food producing site.

Links

The Outreach program is facilitated in connection with many local and national organizations, including the following:

The Community Food Security Coalition is a non-profit North American organization dedicated to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for all people at all times. They seek to develop self-reliance among all communities in obtaining their food and to create a system of growing, manufacturing, processing, making available, and selling food that is regionally based and grounded in the principles of justice, democracy, and sustainability.

The Food Trust's mission is to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. Founded in 1992, the Trust works to improve the health of children and adults, promote good nutrition, increase access to nutritious foods, and advocate for better public policy.

The White Dog Cafe Foundation envisions a Local Living Economy in the Greater Philadelphia Region — one that brings broad-based economic empowerment, environmental stewardship and vibrant, unique character to our communities through local business ownership. Their mission is to create, strengthen and connect locally owned businesses and farms committed to working in harmony with natural systems, providing meaningful living wage jobs, and supporting healthy community life.

The Integrated Farming Systems Initiative is one of five initiatives of the Foundation's Food Systems and Rural Development (FS/RD) program. IFS funds collaborative efforts among farmers and ranchers, communities, universities, environmental groups, food retailers, and researchers who advance the use of farming methods that assure long-term sustainability of our natural resources, food systems and rural communities; and who advance policy-changes and market-changes to reach sustainable goals.

Food and Society(FAS) is a Food Systems and Rural Development initiative of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The FAS Initiative is based on a vision of a future food system that provides for all segments of society a safe and nutritious food supply grown in a manner that protects health and the environment and adds economic and social value to rural and urban communities. The purpose of the FAS Initiative is to support the creation and expansion of community-based food systems that are locally owned and controlled, environmentally sound and health-promoting.

Farm to School programs are popping up all over the U.S. These programs connect schools with local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing health and nutrition education opportunities that will last a lifetime, and supporting local small farmers.

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture
P.O. Box 419
Millheim, PA 16854
phone: (814) 349-9856
e-mail: info@pasafarming.org
website: http://www.pasafarming.org
Publishes PASA Passages newsletter. Sponsors February "Farming for the Future" conference.

Robyn Van En Center for Community Supported Agriculture Resources
Wilson College
Fulton Center for Sustainable Living
1015 Philadelphia Ave
Chambersburg PA 17201
phone: (717) 264-4141, ext. 3352
fax: (717) 264-1578
e-mail: info@csacenter.org
website: http://www.csacenter.org

Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association
Building 1002B, Thoreau Center, The Presidio
P.O. Box 29135
San Francisco, CA 94129-0135
phone: (888) 516-7797
fax: (415) 561-7796
e-mail: biodynamic@aol.com
website: http://www.biodynamics.com

The USDA's database of Community Supported Agriculture farms

National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
P.O. Box 396
Pine Bush, NY 12566
phone: (845) 744-8448
fax: (845) 744-8477
e-mail: campaign@sustainableagriculture.net
website: http://www.sustainableagriculture.net