A Meeting of Montessori Minds

Mountain Laurel Montessori (Virginia) students and faculty were delighted to host 

Metro Montessori (Oregon) last week. 

We worked together on the farm building a new sheep shelter, weeding the hoophouse, mulching the flower beds, preparing lunches and dinners, and repairing the electric fence around the  bees. 

Many hands make quick work of weeds in the hoophouse

We also played some great soccer games, made music together, and exchanged ideas about current events. 

Preparing food together

It was a great meeting of the minds for both students and faculty.

Fearless Leaders

Thank you to Metro for your visit!

We officially apologize for the rainy weather and leaky tents. 

Next time you visit, we'll schedule a sunny day.

Hoophouse before the windstorm February 2012

We were just ready to harvest early spinach, lettuce, and radishes when we had a big windstorm that destroyed the plastic on the hoophouse.

Students water the plants daily

Chard

Lettuce

Plant's eye view

Radishes! We ate some for dinner on an overnight recently - yum!

The good news is that within 1 week we had ordered new plastic, repaired the damage, and added new anti-billowing straps to keep the wind from damaging the new plastic. 1 week after that, we had 60 mile per hour winds and the hoophouse came through it just fine! We're replanting now.

The bad news is that all of that fresh produce we grew for the Food Pantry was frozen when the plastic was damaged.

Spring produce donated to Plant a Row for the Hungry

Proud of their harvest, Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School students bring their produce to the Rappahannock Food Pantry and Plant-A-Row-for-the-Hungry

student grown broccoli, spinach, and kale

Mimi weighs in the broccoli

Thanks to Hal Hunter for getting this all started by donating the hoophouse!

Students harvest...

the broccoli they planted in March...

and bring it to the Food Pantry the same morning - couldn't be fresher!

First Hoophouse harvest!

Our first Hoophouse for the Hungry harvest is in!

Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School students have planted cool season plants, and have already harvested spinach and kale. The garden chore group has taken on seeding, transplanting, and daily watering.  

We took our first harvest to the Rappahannock Food Pantry and helped unload a bread delivery while we were there.

Thanks Mimi for your leadership at the Food Pantry!

Plastic Goes Up On the Hoophouse!

There may have been snow and ice on the ground in the morning, but by the afternoon it was 80 degrees inside the hoophouse!  Eric Plaksin, co-owner of Waterpenny Farm, volunteered his day to teach us how to put the plastic on the hoophouse.  

The first step - getting the plastic up

Ron Makela, owner of Yellow Brick Road Construction, 

has spent countless hours volunteering his time to build the structure.  

Working together to pull the plastic up and over

Thank you to both Eric and Ron 
for your time, energy, and patience!! 

Securing the plastic with "Wiggle Wire"

The Hoophouse For The Hungry is a joint project between Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School and Plant-A-Row-For-The Hungry (Rappahannock Food Pantry).  Hal Hunter generously donated the hoop structure, and has helped coordinate community volunteers.  

Eric teaching how to add the "wiggle wire" to the bottom 

 We will raise fresh, healthy food year-round to be eaten by students at Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School, and to be donated to the Rappahannock Food Pantry.

Helping out

The idea is simple and makes a meaningful impact: plant an extra row in your garden to give to those in need who might not otherwise have access to fresh vegetables.  

Trimming the plastic

 If you are a gardener and want to "Plant A Row For the Hungry" go here for more information:

Plant A Row: http://www.gardenwriters.org/gwa.php?p=par/index.html 

Plant A Row Rappahannock County, VA:
http://plantarow.rappahannock.com/

Trimming the plastic and getting ready to staple and add the furring strips

Hoophouse for the Hungry - Students Work Together to Make Fresh Food a Reality

Filling the raised beds with topsoil

Students from Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School and Rappahannock Public Schools' Farm-To-Table program worked together last week to move a mountain of topsoil and gravel into the Hoophouse for the Hungry.

Connecting the hoops

The Hoophouse will be used to grow fresh, nutritious, produce for Rappahannock Food Pantry clients during colder months of the year.  It will also be used to grow plant starts in the spring so local residents will be able to start their own gardens.

Raking the topsoil smooth

The Hoophouse for the Hungry is a wonderful intergenerational community project bringing together middle school students; Master Gardeners; professional builders, landscapers, gardeners and chefs; and community volunteers.

Harnessing the Sun's Energy

Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School students made solar ovens from simple materials: cardboard, aluminum foil, plastic, and black paper.  They applied their knowledge of the properties of heat and light in their designs.  We hope to really get cooking by June!

The solar ovens were part of the Solar Energy Occupation Project (project-based science class focused on the physics of energy).  This project helped us to prepare for the installation and use of the new greenhouse.

Hoophouse for the Hungry

Montessori Farm School students will be able to grow food for those who need it most during the winter months.

Thanks to a generous donation from a Rappahannock citizen, Mountain Laurel Montessori Farm School is working with Plant-A-Row for the Hungry and the Rappahannock Food Bank to move a 70 foot long hoophouse to the Farm School.

The students will grow cold-hardy vegetables during the winter months. These will be donated to the Food Pantry so those in need will have access to fresh produce year-round. They will also be able to start vegetable plants in the spring that will help Food Bank patrons grow their own gardens.

Pictured here, the students take the first step - measuring the dimensions of the greenhouse in order to plan for the space and order new plastic covering.