Learning About Worms
The kids got excited about digging for worms in our worm farm and learning about the important role worms play in garden soil. They learned that worms loosen soil by creating tunnels that make it easier for the roots of plants to stretch out and also allow rain and air into the soil. They fed...
Recipe: Fruit Kabobs
Ingredients 1 cup watermelon chunks 1 cup pineapple chunks 1 cup grapes 1 cup strawberries 2 kiwi (peeled and cut in quarters) 6” bamboo skewers 1 cup light strawberry yogurt Directions Place fruit chunks on bamboo skewers. Place fruit kabobs on platter. Place yogurt in bowl. Serve kabobs with yogurt on the side. Source: USDA...
Continuing Our Impact with Remote Lessons
We provided remote lessons with garden activity kits to more than 600 students at 13 schools each month this winter. The activities were enjoyed by leaders and students alike. In January, students were given a lesson on Seed Dispersal and then used seeds to create Pinecone Bird Feeders. Students had fun getting their hands into...
2020: A Year in Review
In a year of many challenges and changes, H.O.P.E. Gardens was able to continue its mission of helping other people eat, thanks to generous volunteers and donations! Read the Full Year-End Report
Staff Spotlight: Meet Arthur Gardine!
This year, we transitioned from having students helping in the gardens to working with only staff and a few volunteers, and found we needed extra help. In June, we hired our first youth employee, Arthur Gardine. Arthur first learned of H.O.P.E. Gardens when he was a 6th grade student at South Elementary. He helped install...
Rising to the Challenge: Online Lessons & Garden Kits
Like most organizations, H.O.P.E. Gardens had to adjust to changes brought on by Covid-19. When we learned that some schools were going fully remote and outside organizations were restricted from offering their programs in person, we had a decision to make: could we adapt to this new challenge or should we wait out the storm?...
H.O.P.E. Gardens Receives Farm-to-School Grant
In August, H.O.P.E. Gardens and the YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids were awarded a USDA Farm-to-School grant. This competitive award is granted on an annual basis to organizations that support planning, developing, and implementing farm-to-school programs. H.O.P.E. Gardens will use part of this grant to install a new fence for Wyoming Regional Center, a program...
Spreading H.O.P.E. During COVID-19
The state-wide closing of schools last March due to COVID-19 presented us with a challenge: How could we involve students in school garden planting when we were not able to work together in person? We also wanted to support students and families while under the stay-at-home order, so we decided that if the students couldn’t...
We Need Your Help!
We have had to make a lot of changes and adapt the way we offer our school programs due to COVID-19. This summer we were not able to meet in person with our summer garden programs but we provided pea seed cups, growing instructions & journals for kids to grow at home. This fall, all...
Planting in Pots! Watch Makaylee show you how
Planting in pots an easy way to grow herbs indoors.