CommunityGrows » Booker T. Washington

Gleaning Greens and Chasing Chickens

Barbara Wenger — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 04:03:11 +0000

Spending time with kids in the garden can be so much fun! Take the after-school program at Booker T. Washington Community Service Center on April 12, 2012. This group of six kindergartners, busy clipping off leaves of kale, chard and spinach, were so enthusiastic and proud to share their knowledge and wonder of growing things. They took their bowls of greens and then separated leaves by types. It didn’t hurt that they found pill or sow bugs that roll into a ball, or pincher bugs that look ugly and scary but are not poisonous and don’t bite. Who was going to hold them first? Such fearlessness as they shared the bugs from one hand to another. Finding a snail was also a great reward, watching it wiggle around and stretch its body out of its shell.
The best part of the afternoon by far was going into the chicken coop and feeding the greens to the chickens. The joy of capturing the birds was matched by feathers flying and birds darting for safety. Thank goodness these chickens are tolerant souls. What a great way for the kids to spend the afternoon!

Summer Trip to Green Gulch Farm

Barbara Wenger — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 20:30:18 +0000

On Thursday, August 4,2011 the BEETS (band of environmentally educated and employable teens) joined the youth from Booker T. Washington Community Service Center for a trip to Green Gulch Farm in Marin County. As the day progressed, fog turned into sunshine as youth wandered through the farm soaking up the fresh air and great outdoors. Yuki, a garden educator with the farm, let the BEETS through the fields, to the beehives, past the compost piles, and shared her knowledge of the farm and good agricultural practices. In this photo Juki is explaining the different types of soil that are good for different types of vegetation.BEETS Lyric Lewis, Quincy Smith, Genesis Valentine and Anija Gaino, trying sorrel and honey sandwiches.

After lunch in the circle garden, youth and their leaders walked down through the fields to Muir Beach for fun in the water. A great ending to a wonderful field trip out of the City! For more photos, check out the CommunityGrows Flickr photostream.

After-School Youth Grow Garden at Booker T. Washington Center

Barbara Wenger — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 01:39:37 +0000

The University of San Francisco Interns have been hard at work getting the Booker T. Washington garden together for the after-school students to enjoy. (See previous post). CommunityGrows has been helping them fix up the chicken shed, get planter beds in order, erect fences and stake bean poles. On March 3, 2011 the kids came and helped plant strawberries and did some mulching. Two chickens moseying about darting out of site. It was a great day to get something in the ground and get to know one another. To see more photos go to our Flickr photostream.