Springing Forward on the Farm
Hello, school fam! While we have mixed feelings about Daylight Savings Time (really? still doing this?), we are completely behind the idea of springing forward. Winter has its vital place–and we’re still in it!–but the edifying work of spring has been happening for many weeks on the farm.
Students have been engaged in all aspects of soil care and preparations for spring planting. From Kindergartners sifting and mixing soil for trays in the greenhouse and 2nd graders filling trays with beets and scallions and many brassicas, to 5th graders transplanting broccoli, collards, and kale, students have pushed through winter weather to set us up for a productive year of food. We’ve also managed to harvest many hardy greens and herbs for the nutrition program, all while keeping our garlic crop going strong and tending our fruit trees, vines, and bushes.
Speaking of going strong, our robust little flock of chickens at the middle campus came through their first winter quite well. They endured the bitter cold and wind with the help of a heavy plastic tarp and a new heated water bowl, and now they’re back to laying almost an egg a day–signs of spring, to be sure. Eighth grade students took part in a farm-based session during their Black History Month Teach-In, learning about Black Urban Farmers and Community Health with Nurse Leslye and Ms. Lupo in late February. Then they immersed themselves in their five senses on the farm as part of a unit on stress management, learning simple ways to self-regulate and decompress in nature; here’s hoping the seeds planted that day bloom when needed, even well after they leave ANCS.
If you’re feeling the itch to get your hands in the soil, please consider joining us for a farm workday! This Saturday from 9am-11am, we’ll be working at the elementary campus farm to turn and move compost, spread mulch, care for beds, and create farm signage. Please wear closed-toe shoes, bring a full water bottle, and come prepared to work alongside your family and community. (NOTE: We’re watching the Saturday forecast closely and will update the calendar if anything changes.) Our next farm workday is April 19 at the middle campus.
Our farm crew is so grateful to teach and learn alongside your wonderful students, and we’re sending you all the sunniest, springy-est vibes. Let’s keep going and growing, y’all!
Nichole Lupo
Nichole joined the ANCS faculty in the Fall of 2021 as the School Farm Specialist. Prior to coming to ANCS she worked at the Wylde Center as the Farm to School Manager, where she taught students in City Schools of Decatur in their garden classrooms, implemented two district-wide taste tests each year, and managed high school summer interns at farms, restaurants, and farmers markets around Decatur and Atlanta.
