from the garden

Archive for April, 2008

Food class visits Small Farm

Yesterday the June Jordan Food class took a trip to Hidden Villa ranch, an educational organic farm and ranch. As we drove by the farm fields near the ranch’s entrance, a student yelled out, “Look! It’s just like the small farms we learned about!” As in, small farms versus industrial farms. I was happy. Another [...]

April 25, 2008   Posted in: farm, food systems, local food, organic  Comments Closed

SF Bay Guardian on School Gardens

Check out the nice article in this week’s San Francisco Bay Guardian about school gardens in the bay area, including Urban Sprouts’. If there’s a downside to teaching children how to nurture a green, nutritious school garden, it’s hard to fathom. The list of touted benefits is lengthy: students reap fresh air and physical exercise, [...]

April 16, 2008   Posted in: Uncategorized  Comments Closed

Try this at Home! Yogurt-making

Making yogurt at home is so easy you won’t believe it! Yogurt is a cultured milk product. We simply add a starter culture (pre-existing plain yogurt) to milk, and give it the proper environmental conditions that allow the culture to reproduce. The starter yogurt has all sorts of beneficial bacteria (such as the famed Acidophilus) [...]

April 10, 2008   Posted in: local food, yogurt  Comments Closed

Yogurt-Making – Part 2

Once you have all your tools ready, let’s get started!STEP 1: Pour milk into pot and heat slowly over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once you have reached 162 degrees Fahrenheit, count for 20 seconds and then turn off the heat.STEP 2: Transfer the hot milk into your sterile jars. Set the jars aside and cover [...]

April 10, 2008   Posted in: local food, yogurt  Comments Closed

The Great Sunflower Project!

Help San Francisco State University study the distribution of pollinators in your own backyard. Sign up to be a part of the Great Sunflower Project. Create an account online and you will receive a free packet of wild, native sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) to plant and attract pollinators. Then use the provided datasheet to record the [...]

April 1, 2008   Posted in: bees, flower, pollinators, school garden  Comments Closed