Vegan preschool builds its own garden

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Longmont? Colorado;

 

 

 

 

Rachel Pomeroy, 3, digs a hole to plant a sunflower with Amy Bonfiglio, a cook and teacher at BellaVita School, nearby to help during a planting day for the school recently. Jackie Endsley/Times-Call

 

BellaVita had a farm By Melanie M. Sidwell Longmont Times-Call LONGMONT — BellaVita School has taken its vegan menu into the hands of its students. The Longmont preschool at 641 Terry St. has created a community garden behind its building. The hope is to grow 5 percent of the school’s food there, owner Rachel Frisius-Henderson said. Parents, teachers and the children have been working on the garden this spring. “We found worms!†Dylan Knipe, 3, exclaimed as the children came in from a morning of hard work on their garden May 15. So far, they have turned their backyard into a tilled plot with compost, with raised plant beds and a path, Frisius-Henderson said. On May 15, they planted seeds and plants, most of which were donated. The school also received a grant from the Beanstalk Foundation, she said. BellaVita planted tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, squash, watermelon, strawberries, herbs, peas, spinach, kale, potatoes, sunflowers and carrots, Frisius-Henderson said. Two honey crisp apple trees also were planted on the school’s front lawn. The preschool buys most of its food supplies from Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers, Frisius-Henderson said. “We’re all learning together how to plant and how to grow our own food,†she said. “One little girl said, ‘I used to think tomatoes were just in the store, but now I know they grow on plants!’†BellaVita is licensed to care for nine children a day; 12 children attend the school throughout the week, Frisius-Henderson said. “It’s a fun project for the kids,†she said of the garden. “When they grow their own food, they’re more likely to try different foods.†The children already have tried some basil from their garden on homemade pizza. “They were really excited. Everyone ate it, even if it was green,†Frisius-Henderson said with a laugh. Suzanne Gruber — the mother of Madelynn, 3 — said the preschool garden is another way to teach her daughter about growing food locally. She said the family already grows some food at home, buys from the farmers market and is a member of a “community supported agriculture†system, in which consumers pay small-scale farmers and growers for a box of produce each week. “It’s important for her — it’s important for all of us — to be eating fresh and local food,†Gruber said. “She’s learning how (growing food) works, with the weather, and how the plants grow. And now she loves to help us with the yard work, too.†Melanie M. Sidwell can be reached at 303-684-5274 or msidwell.

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north of Boulder..

i had a friend who lived outside of longmont in the front range (mountains)

Peter VV May 28, 2008 12:07 AM Re: Re: Vegan preschool builds its own garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

Longmont? Colorado;

 

 

 

 

Rachel Pomeroy, 3, digs a hole to plant a sunflower with Amy Bonfiglio, a cook and teacher at BellaVita School, nearby to help during a planting day for the school recently. Jackie Endsley/Times-Call

 

BellaVita had a farm By Melanie M. Sidwell Longmont Times-Call LONGMONT — BellaVita School has taken its vegan menu into the hands of its students. The Longmont preschool at 641 Terry St. has created a community garden behind its building. The hope is to grow 5 percent of the school’s food there, owner Rachel Frisius-Henderson said. Parents, teachers and the children have been working on the garden this spring. “We found worms!†Dylan Knipe, 3, exclaimed as the children came in from a morning of hard work on their garden May 15. So far, they have turned their backyard into a tilled plot with compost, with raised plant beds and a path, Frisius-Henderson said. On May 15, they planted seeds and plants, most of which were donated. The school also received a grant from the Beanstalk Foundation, she said. BellaVita planted tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, squash, watermelon, strawberries, herbs, peas, spinach, kale, potatoes, sunflowers and carrots, Frisius-Henderson said. Two honey crisp apple trees also were planted on the school’s front lawn. The preschool buys most of its food supplies from Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers, Frisius-Henderson said. “We’re all learning together how to plant and how to grow our own food,†she said. “One little girl said, ‘I used to think tomatoes were just in the store, but now I know they grow on plants!’†BellaVita is licensed to care for nine children a day; 12 children attend the school throughout the week, Frisius-Henderson said. “It’s a fun project for the kids,†she said of the garden. “When they grow their own food, they’re more likely to try different foods.†The children already have tried some basil from their garden on homemade pizza. “They were really excited. Everyone ate it, even if it was green,†Frisius-Henderson said with a laugh. Suzanne Gruber — the mother of Madelynn, 3 — said the preschool garden is another way to teach her daughter about growing food locally. She said the family already grows some food at home, buys from the farmers market and is a member of a “community supported agriculture†system, in which consumers pay small-scale farmers and growers for a box of produce each week. “It’s important for her — it’s important for all of us — to be eating fresh and local food,†Gruber said. “She’s learning how (growing food) works, with the weather, and how the plants grow. And now she loves to help us with the yard work, too.†Melanie M. Sidwell can be reached at 303-684-5274 or msidwell (AT) times-call (DOT) com.

Peter H

 

 

Sent from Mail. A Smarter Email.

 

 

 

 

 

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