Victor 9th Grade SVA Service leaning

We planted spinach at Dragon Farm today and then we went to Kirtland Elementary to work with the UNM students. We roto-tilled a new plot to expand on the existing garden. We also planted winter rye in the new plot using a broadcast seeder.  The winter rye will help to build nitrogen in the soil.

Anonymous SVA Student 10th Grade SVA Service Learning

I got to use the broadcast seeder at Kirtland Elementary today.  We planted winter rye in the new 3500 square foot plot.  It has a handle and crank that you turn.  It shoots the seeds out.  It’s pretty cool.

Fall has Come to ABQ

It is cooling down considerably in our region. What a blazing summer this was! Even the greens under the row cover had their lifetimes shortened from the high temperatures. We wrapped up our contained summer spinach experiment and I must confess the results were more than pleasing to the palate. Next market season we plan to be able to sell the sweetest spinach (in my humble opinion) to our appreciated customers during hot summer months.

Miguel Martinez

Dragon Farm

Assistant Farm Manager

Lurdes Ortiz SVA Student

We have planted and harvested tomatoes, lettuce, jalapenos and carrots for South Valley Academy Lunch Program. I am glad to tell my peers that I helped grow what they were eating. I love to eat the tomatoes with their fresh taste. Compared to the store bought tomatoes Dragons Farm is the best. My peers in the Sustainability class share the same joy of the reward of our hard work, especially when we see the label Dragon Farm over the salad bar. It is cool to be one of the few schools in the country that serve produce from the garden in the lunch program.

Alex 10 Grade SVA Service Learning

We went to Kirtland Elementary today to start planning the new garden.  We also took soil samples to test for any toxins and heavy metals.  We will be working with UNM Research Service Learning students this semester. It should be pretty cool.

Victor 9th Grade SVA Service Learning

Today we worked at Kirtland Elementary with students form UNM.  We dug some holes to take soil samples.  We also worked on the design of the new garden.  I like working off campus.

Anonymous SVA Student, Ms. Merewether’s Science Class

Today in class we went out to Dragon Farm. Mr. Brandt gave us a tour of Dragon Farm. It’s really neat that we get to eat the food that we help grow in the lunch program. It was fun until we got attacked by all of the mosquitoes.

Food Corps

Reporting here is Kendal Chavez, a transplant from California recently connected to the YFAP through collaborative efforts between Food Corps and Kirtland Elementary.  I am a FoodCorps service member supporting the expansion and maintenance of the garden program at Kirltand, a multi-faceted model of garden-based learning that supports student’s growth through nutrition, garden, and agricultural education, as the school’s garden coordinator. Additionally, my service here in Albuquerque will also support the expansive curriculum programming, youth engagement, and community dialogue integrated into the YFAP’s foundational tenants.  The breadth of community involvement and partnerships embedded into this project is extraordinary and I am very grateful to be a part of such a dynamic example of the power of community collaboration.

-Kendal Chavez
Food Corps