Q: How long have you been participating in Farm Fresh programming?
A: Vogel Alcove implemented its Farm Fresh Programming Initiative at its current location in 2014.
Q: What has been your biggest challenge in connecting with local producers?
A: One of the primary challenges faced by Vogel Alcove in its Farm Fresh Programming Initiative is sourcing sufficient produce to feed the significant number of children it serves. While many farms would generously donate produce to our organization, coordinating with multiple farms to acquire the necessary quantity and variety of products required to meet the nutritional needs of the children is often challenging, and a lot of farms already have an organization that takes their goods.
Q: Do you have a specific resource to find producers in your area?
A: I use Dallas Hunger Coalition, SquareMeals.org, and North Texas Food Bank.
Q: Do you use TDA’s mapping tool on SquareMeals.org?
A: Yes
Q: What are your students’ favorite local products?
A: The children’s favorite options to eat were the watermelons and cantaloupes we grew in the school garden last year - though the long beans were a close second. Their favorite activity with the produce was shelling purple hull peas or “finding the seeds” as the children called it.
Q: Do you have a garden?
A: Vogel Alcove has multiple garden areas. Our gardening program is two-fold, we have a USDA farm-to-table certified program that allows us to grow fresh produce and then integrate it into the kids’ daily breakfast, lunch, and snacks. We also have an all-natural Nature Explore-certified outdoor classroom, our therapeutic garden focuses on social/emotional learning and gives children regular time in nature. The garden helps improve social and motor skills, supports creativity, reduces stress, and teaches empathy. Finally, the Bloom and Grow Wildlife Garden provides a space to observe and learn from the cycles of nature as seen in the native and naturalized plants that attract butterflies and insects.
Q: How did you go about setting it up?
A: The school gardens were first established in 2014. Vogel Alcove is a nonprofit organization that relies heavily on the generosity of donor support, so the garden is primarily financed by donations, foundations, and grants. We grow our own seedlings, create our own compost, and receive generous seed donations, all of which help cut down on costs. Vogel employs a full-time gardener who takes care of the maintenance and harvesting of the gardens and assists in providing education opportunities for the children. Volunteers assist with larger projects like installing new beds or spreading mulch.
Q: What kind of educational activities have you been able to implement?
A: Recently, during a class lesson on the garden, one student exclaimed in surprise, “carrots have leaves?!?” It is so vital for children to be part of the process of growing food, they have so much to learn. Learning activities at Vogel are usually informal and informed by what the children are curious about and what is currently growing. They learn about what the plants need to grow, the insects that help and hurt the plants, and about other garden friends like birds and earthworms. The children participate in the entire cycle - planting, watering, and harvesting in the garden, and many times, consumption! Right now, each class has their own grow bag of colorful potatoes that they planted and are helping to care for that will be harvested at the end of May.
Q: How do you promote the local products you use?
A: For the produce grown in the school garden, the children are often part of the harvest process. We talk with the children about the food we grow and how it goes to the kitchen to be part of their meals.
Q: What advice would you give a CE trying to decide if/how to participate in Farm Fresh programming?
A: How other CEs can replicate Vogel Alcove’s approach should involve networking and raising awareness of the organization’s mission and needs within the surrounding community. This may include establishing partnerships with neighboring farms and engaging with local businesses and community members to promote collaboration and support. In addition, by communicating its objectives and seeking to develop mutually beneficial relationships, other CEs can leverage their existing resources and expand their reach in acquiring the necessary products to support the nutritional needs of the children it serves.