Plants Need Light to Grow
In March students in 39 STEAM classrooms learned that dormant seeds contain stored energy (cotyledon) to produce a plant. In April they discovered that after a plant begins to grow, the seed energy becomes depleted and plants must get their energy from the sun. Students were able to compare plants that were grown in sunlight...
Getting Excited about Vermiculture
In the spring some of our students learned the important part that worms play in the garden. Did you know that worms eat up organic matter and leaf droppings that help plants grow better and they create water and air channels for plant roots to grow quickly? The kids learned all this as they studied,...
Workshop for Our Congolese Neighbors
It was an honor to spend time with our Congolese neighbors at Flowerland in Wyoming as we shared our love of gardening and provided insights into growing in our climate (Grow Zone 6) as opposed to their region (Grow Zone 12).
Healthy, Fresh, Equitable Food for All! Join Team H.O.P.E. as We Walk for Good Food
What if everyone in our community had equal access to food that nourishes, creates good jobs, is affordable, and gives back to the earth? We believe it’s possible. This May, Team H.O.P.E. is excited to be a featured organization at the 46th Annual Access Walk for Good Food! Part community event, part 5k walk, and...
Let’s Talk About Seeds!
We love teaching students where their food comes from. Did you know that a dormant seed contains everything that it needs to grow into a plant and grow food to eat? This month students learns the parts of a seed and then each was given a seed that had been soaked in water to awaken...
We had a Workshop
On Saturday, March 11, we hosted a Rengenerative Garden Workshop at Flowerland in Wyoming, MI. Hope Gardens’ staff taught community members how to install their own no-till, regenerative (nature-based) garden. Regenerative gardening is an approach to sustainable food and farming systems that regenerates topsoil and enhances biodiversity now and long into the future. This practice...
Kids Learn About Pollination and Beekeeping
4th-grade students at Grandville South Elementary learned the importance of pollinators as they examined flower parts under magnifying glasses and bee parts under microscopes. One student told our staff he was excited to use a microscope for the first time! Student volunteers tried on a beekeeper’s suit and helped demonstrate how to care for bees....
March Garden Tips!
Now that the weather is starting to get warmer, this is a good time to revisit your garden and start getting your supplies and areas ready for your transplants! Make sure you have enough tools and gloves and clean up any fallen debris and garden messes you have been pushing off all winter! Eliminating hibernating...
February is a Good Month for Garden Planning
. Kids in 39 Wyoming Public Schools STEAM classrooms, 7 Team 21 after-school programs, 2 classrooms at South Elementary in Grandville, and 4 at Countryside Elementary in Byron center, all planned their summer gardens in February. They started by learning why planting a variety of fruits and vegetables helps protect the garden from being completely destroyed by...
Pinecones Are For The Birds
Our Team 21 kids at 10 schools in Wyoming used pinecones, shortening, and bird seed in January to make pinecone bird feeders to hang in their school gardens. Pine cones are the perfect vessel for a handmade bird feeder. Our feathered friends are getting a winter treat made by the hands of children. If you...