Hlltop Hanover Farm

 

Farm at School - Community and School Garden Resources

Below is a list of organizations that may be used as resources for information, or as garden mentors or community partners:

Gardening Clubs

http://www.gardencentral.org/fgcny
 http://www.gardenweb.com/

Community Groups

http://www.scouting.org/
http://www.girlscouts.org/

Senior Groups, Boy/Girl Scouts, and other youth groups can be a big help to your garden.  Remember, this list is just a short compilation of the resources that may be available to you!  And the more community programs you involve, the stronger the connection of your school to the community.

 

The Edible Schoolyard - http://www.edibleschoolyard.org/

The website for one of the first school gardens (and probably the best known school garden), it includes links and resources for starting your own.

New York Farms - http://nyfarms.info/farmtoschool.html

Extensive list of links to school garden (and building farm-school connections) resources.  At the bottom are sections on feasibility, funding, school gardens, and greening up the school environment.

USDA’s “Agriculture in the Classroom” Program - http://www.agclassroom.org/

NY "Agriculture in the Classroom" Program -   http://www.nyaged.org/aitc/

New York Farm Bureau Foundation for Agricultural Education -   http://www.nyfbfoundation.org/

Food and Fiber Systems Literacy Lessons -   http://food_fiber.okstate.edu/

Kids Gardening (National Gardening Association) - http://www.kidsgardening.com/

Vermont Feed - http://www.vtfeed.org/

Great web resource… will soon have school gardens curriculum online.

Cornell Farm to School Program -   http://farmtoschool.cce.cornell.edu/

Cornell Gardening Resources for Youth -   http://www.hort.cornell.edu/gbl/

NYS IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Program K-12 Education

http://nysipm.cornell.edu/teaching_ipm/default.asp

Pride of New York Farm to School -   http://www.prideofny.com/farm_to_school.html

Discovering the Food System: An Experiential Learning Program for Young and Enquiring Minds, Available from the Division of Nutritional Sciences and Department of Horticulture, Cornell University 

http://foodsys.cce.cornell.edu/

American Farm Bureau - http://www.fb.org/

New York State Farm Bureau - http://www.nyfb.org/

Check out both of these sites for information from one of the country's largest farm organizations.

New York FFA - www.nysffa.org

FFA is a student-oriented leadership organization that strives for agricultural education.  FFA may be a great help to your school garden with planning or maintenance if you have a chapter in your district.

Master Gardener Program - http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/education/mgprogram

The Master Gardener Program is a corps of volunteers in New York State who are trained by Cornell Cooperative Extension in the science and art of gardening. See if your county has a Master Gardener Program.

4H - http://4-h.org/

New York 4-H - http://nys4h.cce.cornell.edu/

4-H is a youth development program that has a focus on agriculture, Leadership, and community service. 4-H volunteers may be the perfect way to keep up your summer maintenance!

Cornell Cooperative Extension

http://www.cce.cornell.edu/
http://www.gardening.cornell.edu/

CCE has countless resources for gardeners. This website contains many links that will be helpful to you.  Check with your county's CCE office to see if there are Extension Educators who can help or if resources are available.

Service Learning Projects

Most schools with gardens donate produce to their local food bank or other community organizations. To find local food banks, check out Feeding America's site (previously America's Second Harvest) at:

http://feedingamerica.org/?show_shov=1

Plant a Row for the Hungry

We encourage kids growing food gardens to participate in the Garden Writer's Association "Plant a Row for the Hungry" program. (The link is currently unavailable as the Garden Writer's Association updates its website.)

Northeast Regional Food Guide - http://www.nutrition.cornell.edu/foodguide/archive/index.html

USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (lessons available)

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Education_and_Outreach/Understanding_Statistics/index.asp

Ten Things Kids Want to Know About Farming (video and lesson plans booklet from American Farm Bureau)

 http://www.ageducate.org/resources/10_things.html

 New York Apple Country (lessons and activities) -    http://www.nyapplecountry.com/teacherkits.htm

Center for Ecoliteracy -   http://www.ecoliteracy.org/

Listening to the Prairie: Farming in Nature's Image -   http://forces.si.edu/main/pdf/2-5_Intro.pdf