Sustainable Nantucket» Sustainable Nantucket Youth Council

Fun for All at Discover Your Garden/Family Picnic Day at the Joyce N. Furman FARM TO SCHOOL Youth Garden

kknight — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:32:16 +0000

Monday, October 10th marked Sustainable Nantucket’s first Discover Your Garden and Family Picnic Day at the Joyce N. Furman FARM TO SCHOOL Youth Garden. Over 75 people were in attendance, with Fire Chief Bill Pittman, Town Manager Libby Gibson, Nantucket Garden Club President Paulette Boling, and NPS Food Services Director Linda Peterson among them. Attendees came to participate in SN’s annual meeting; a ribbon cutting for the Joyce N. Furman FARM TO SCHOOL Youth Garden; and Family Picnic Day.

The day opened under sunny skies with the Annual Meeting and was followed by the ribbon cutting, which was performed by School Superintendent Michael Cozort; SN Board Members Victoria McManus and Beth Davies; and 5 SN Youth Council members – Sophie Davies, Sean Allen, Norah Harrington, Orion Malfatto-Daily, and Caillean Daily. The day proceeded with garden-related activities including tours, the planting of cover crops, scarecrow making, pumpkin decorating and more. The day culminated with a Family Picnic set against a backdrop of live music performed by Nantucket band Four Easy Payments. In addition, several SN Farmers & Artisans Market vendors were on hand to sell their wares.

Executive Director Michelle Whelan noted, “It was a wonderful way to celebrate our programs and inaugurate the garden – the garden looked beautiful and we were so happy to share our progress with the community on Monday. This is a celebration that we’ll consider repeating next year.”

The Joyce N. Furman FARM TO SCHOOL Youth Garden is a project that has come to fruition thanks to the hard work and dedication of Sustainable Nantucket staff, board members, and volunteers and Nantucket Public Schools administration and students. The garden has been funded in large part by donations from individuals and businesses, all of whom will be recognized on the garden’s “Giving Wall” or on plaques throughout the garden. While reaching a milestone this Monday, the garden’s progress remains ongoing, bringing about more opportunities for community involvement through volunteering and sponsors.

Special thanks to our event sponsors: The Toy Boat and Create

Become a Member of the SN Youth Council!

kknight — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:48:44 +0000

For a downloadable PDF version of this brochure, CLICK HERE.

Thanks to YOU: Our Farm to School Garden & Program is Growing!

mwhelan — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:48:38 +0000

The contributions we receive for this project are critical for its success. The garden is an essential part of our overall program, which is designed to educate our children on the importance of HEALTHY EATING and LOCAL AGRICULTURE, the importance of knowing WHERE OUR FOOD COMES FROM, and how SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES lead to a HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT now and in the future.Funds derived from the naming of the garden will go to the building of the garden, and toward the staff resources needed to maintain the garden, and to integrate it with the schools’ curriculum.

There is still plenty of opportunity to contribute to our garden-building effort and our Garden Naming Campaign at almost every level. Contact us to volunteer, or to make a donation and plant your own name, or the name of someone you love, in the Farm to School Garden!

Make a contribution to this project and become a partner in our work and an integral part of the Farm to School garden. Scroll to the BOTTOM OF THE PAGE for some examples of donation levels.

For ongoing updates on the progress of the Garden and other Farm to School projects, click here.

An enormous and heart-felt THANK YOU to the following contributors for their generous gifts and pledges:

*Updated as of 10/18/11

Naming Campaign Donors:

$50,000 ~ Lead Sponsor ~ The Furman Charitable Trust ~ In Memory of Joyce N. Furman

$5,000 ~ Living Classroom ~ Alan & Barbara Medaugh

$5,000 ~ Greenhouse ~ Wendy Schmidt & Island Lumber

$5,000 ~ Storage Shed – Nantucket Golf Club Foundation & Island Lumber

$5,000 ~ Permanent Fence ~ Wendy Schmidt

$5,000 ~ Drip Irrigation System ~ The Nantucket Garden Club

$2,500 ~ Garden Gate ~ Chanticleer

$2,500 ~ Garden Gate ~ Ellen Ross

$2,000 ~ Garden Bench ~ Sharon Horne ~ in Memory of Fred & Amanda Jorgensen

$2,000 ~ Garden Bench ~ The Whelan Family ~ in Memory of Thomas & Marilyn Whelan

$2,000 ~ Garden Bench ~ Kim and Finn Wentworth

$2,000 ~ Living Classroom Bench ~ Rotary Club of Nantucket

$2,000 ~ Work Table ~ Daily Construction

$2,000 ~ Picnic Table ~ NIR Foundation

$1,500 ~ Greenhouse Potting Table ~ In Honor of Patty Myers & Her Gifts to Organic Gardening on Nantucket

$1,500 ~ Fruit Tree ~ NIR Foundation

$1,000 ~ Compost System ~ Culinary Arts Foundation & Junior Chef Nantucket

$1,000 ~ Greenhouse Potting Bench ~ A Gift from the Sieger Family

$500 ~ Bike Rack ~ Marsha Greenman ~ in Honor of Uzi Greenman

$500 ~ Raised Bed ~ American Seasons

$500 ~ Raised Bed ~ Land Council

$500 ~ Raised Bed ~ Oran Mor

$500 ~ Raised Bed ~ 12 Degrees East

$500 ~ Raised Bed ~ Jesse Dutra Landsacaping

$500 ~ Raised Bed ~ Mary-Randolph and Dr. Walter F. Ballinger

$500 ~ Raised Bed ~ In Celebration of the Union of Jack Griffin and Pamela Brooks

$500 ~ Raised Bed ~ Kennelly/Richards Family

$500 ~ Raised Bed ~ Chad Hudnut and Marisa Drew

$250 ~ Garden Row, long ~ Corinne Giffin ~ in Memory of Robin E. Gorham

$250 ~ Garden Row, long ~ Laura Wasserman ~ In Honor of the Wasserman Family

$250 ~ Garden Row, long ~ Annye’s Whole Foods

$250 ~ Garden Tools ~ Frank & Tracy Daily

$250 ~ Garden Tools ~ Pumpkin Pond Farm

$150 ~ Garden Row, short ~ LeeAnne & Tom Richard ~ In Honor of Tucker and Casey Brannigan

$150 ~ Garden Row, short ~Frank & Tracy Daily ~ in Honor of MaCaybreh & Braelyn Daily

$150 ~ Garden Row, short ~ Peggy Tramposch

$150 ~ Garden Row, short ~ Kathy & Tom Ayars

$150 ~ Garden Row, short ~ In Loving Memory of Maureen Thayer

$150 ~ Garden Row, short ~ Rebecca & Ted Bent

$150 ~ Garden Row, short ~ Nantucket Housefitters and Tile Gallery

$150 ~ Garden Row, short ~ Build Positive

$100 ~ Seeds ~ The Belber Family

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Rosewood Gardeners

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Mathew McEacheren

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Moira McManus

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Alan and Patty Myers

$100 ~ Seeds ~ The Gould Family

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Wade and Susanne Green

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Kathy Halbower

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Hailey Feldman

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Laura Wasserman

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Bursk

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Michael Rodgers

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Valerie and Richard Norton

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Patricia A. Wages

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Elizabeth Davies

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Victoria McManus and John McDermott

$100 ~ Seeds ~ Michelle Whelan

$100 ~ Seeds ~ The Kelly Family

$50 ~ Row Cover ~ Amy & Benjamin Bloomstone

Grant Support:

Community Foundation for Nantucket
The Home Depot
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources/CISA
The Nantucket Booster Club
Nantucket Land Council
The National Gardening Association
Stonyfield Farms
Nantucket Garden Club

Individual Donations:

Charity Benz
Sean Allen
Anna Leary
Jean Grimmer

In-Kind Donations of Time, Energy, Materials and Labor:

Amanda Morgan
B.E Byrne
The Bartlett Family
Beth & Wayne Davies
Brian Chadwick
Buzz Saw
Charity Benz
Chris Emery
Colleen Suhanosky
Cormac Collier
Danny Baird
Dauna Coffin
Dave Provost and the Shingles
Don Holdgate
Dylan Wallace
Espresso to Go
Gene Mahon/Mahon About Town
Greg Malfatto
Hector Delomo
Holdgate Partners
Island Lumber
Jevon Larson
Karen Ward Baird
Kathleen Minihan
Kelly Bull
Kristina Jelleme
Kristy Zajac
Liesel Sheppard
Linda McDonough
Linda Peterson
Margaretta Andrews
Mark Barrett
Mark Voigt
Matt Oates
Michelle Llewelyn
Mitch Blake
Murray Emerson
Myles Reis
Nathan Killeen
Nora Harrington
Patti Myers
Phil & Sean Allen
Randy & Owen Hudson
Rob O’Day
Rusty Campbell
Sam Slosek
Sean Allen
Shad Cranston
Sidmar Oliveira
Sunny, Orion & Caillean Daily
Tara Grunwald
Teresa Cook
Tim Merrill
Michelle Cosentino
Wannacomet Water Co.

NES Garden Designs

kknight — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 19:51:55 +0000

Youth Council members have been hard at work designing the layout for the garden that will serve the Nantucket Public School System, which is slated to be installed in the Spring/early Summer of 2011. Below are examples of some of the sketches done by the members. The designs are proposed layouts for the garden entrance and farm stand, as well as the shed, which includes interior growing and drying space for veggies and mushrooms, a washing station for produce, an area for solar batteries, worm bins, a living roof and much more. We are delighted with the creativity expressed in these plans!

Garden Team Journal Entries

kknight — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 14:46:50 +0000

SN Youth Council Garden Team members keep journals in which they record their experiences working on the design and installation of the garden that serve the Nantucket Public School system. Writing about the project gives the students the opportunity to reflect on what they have learned with each task, how these experiences affect their food choices, and the positive impact that sustainable farming has on our environment. Below are a few examples of the entries written in the students’ own hand.

Can One Kid Make a Difference?

kknight — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 21:06:01 +0000

Children understand, sometimes more than we realize. Birke Baeher understands what’s wrong with our “conventional” food system, and he wants other kids (and adults) to understand as well.

Watch his inspiring video, and share it with your kids. Then get involved in helping us foster a healthy food system on Nantucket – support our local farmers, buy locally grown food, start your own garden, and learn how to preserve the Summer harvest by canning and freezing for the winter months. Encourage your kids to join the SN Youth Council, support Farm to School, and educate your children about making healthy food choices.

SN Youth Council Breaks Ground On NPS Garden

kknight — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:59:06 +0000

On September 30, 2010, our SNYC Garden Team began the installation of its second garden for Nantucket Public Schools. Many thanks to Sam Slosek, Randy Hudson, Kelly Bull, Katheleen Minihan, Sunny Daily, and Dylan Wallace for their help as guiding mentors for our apprentices and spearheading the garden installation. In the coming winter months, Garden Team members will continue to build up 3 different types of composted and control group beds, grow cover crop, build and plant natural fences, build a shed, a hoop house and hopefully sow some winter crops.

Youth Council Garden Team Breaks Ground at NPS Thursday, September 30th!

kknight — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:36:41 +0000

The Sustainable Nantucket Youth Council got its start in the spring of 2008, with the help of a generous grant from the Nantucket Golf Club Foundation, and in the spring of 2009, they built a garden at Nantucket Elementary School. Now, the Sustainable Nantucket Youth Council Garden Team is installing a second garden, this time behind Nantucket High School.

In recognition of Massachusetts Harvest for Students Week, the team is expected to break ground on the garden on Thursday, September 30th at 3:30pm. Please join us!

Photo via Flickr by Dan4th Nicholas

The SNYC Garden Team is comprised of a group of students from various Island schools; students range in age from 11 to 18 years old. The approximately 15 member Garden Team is working under the direction of local landscapers and farmers to build the new garden at NHS. SNYC Garden team members gain valuable experience as they participate in the planning process and decision making from the very beginning, deciding on what to build, how to build it, its nutrient system and what to plant. SNYC members also act as liaisons within their school, spreading the word about the Farm to School Program, and helping to recruit for an after school Garden Club, which will take over the harvesting and garden upkeep once the building has been completed. Those who continue with the after school Garden Club will have the opportunity to take on leadership roles as founding members.

This garden is a part of Nantucket’s fledgling Farm to School Program established by Sustainable Nantucket and the NPS Food Services Deptartment.

Youth Council Seeks Materials for Upcoming Garden Project

kknight — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 16:34:02 +0000

Sustainable Nantucket’s Youth Council is in need of materials and supplies to move forward with it’s next garden project. The list of materials includes:

Hoses – $45.00 each

Watering Wands – $25.00 each

Wheel Barrels – $50.00 each

Shovels – $30.00 each

A Shed – $1500

Hand Hoes, Pruners, Cultivators… $15.00 – $50.00

Tarps – $20.00 each

Buckets – $5.00 each

PVC Pipe – $70.00 each

Row Covers – $35.00 each

Twine – $10.00

Trellises, Metal or Stakes – $5.00 each

Lawn Mower – $200.00

Rakes, Steel and Leaf – $30.00

Hoes – $20.00 each

Wood

Fencing

Soil

Organic compost

Seeds /Seedlings

Labor

We’d also gladly welcome any used or unwanted gardening equipment.

Please contact us if you are able to help out. We greatly appreciate your support!

Nantucket Golf Club Awards Grant to Sustainable Nantucket Youth Council

kknight — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:20:44 +0000

Sustainable Nantucket’s Youth Council would like to extend our thanks to the Nantucket Golf Club for their recent grant to help fund our Youth Council’s ongoing “Top Up From the Tap!” Campaign.

We appreciate their generosity, and their grant which will help us continue our campaign. Begun in 2008, this campaign is designed to raise awareness and educate our community about the island’s superb water quality and includes:

Distributing information on the high quality of Nantucket’s town water supply, urging our residents and visitors to “Top Up from the Tap”.
Selling stainless steel, reusable containers at a discounted rate as an alternative to using and purchasing plastic bottles.
Performing advocacy aimed at providing alternatives to plastic water bottle consumption on-island.

We are grateful to for the Nantucket Golf Club’s ongoing and generous support for our Youth Council and the programs that benefit the children of our community.