Apple Butter and Fruit Trees

Friday was a very busy day at the Old Six Mile Museum.  Not only did we make apple butter the old fashioned way (copper kettle, open flame, wooden paddle), we also had the 5th grade classes from Worthen Elementary over to plant some fruit trees.  These students are the same ones who came over in the spring while they were in 4th grade and planted tomato plants.  

I was pleasantly surprised as to how well these kids behaved.  Having 75+ students around a steaming hot kettle could make anybody nervous, but they caused no problems at all.  They were very interested in what we were doing and listened to Jim Engelke explain how apple butter is made.

After watching a demonstration around the copper kettle the kids followed Gary Ford, the master gardener with the park district, to the garden area where they planted 3 fruit trees.  

Gary did a wonderful job going over the details of planting a tree.  It is a lot more work than just digging a hole and sticking the tree in. Who knew.  The kids were so quiet when he was talking.  He let them help fill the holes back in with dirt and tie the trees to the ground.  

A big huge THANK YOU to Jim and Sharon Parker for donating the trees.  This would not have been possible without them.  We now have 2 Golden Delicious and 1 peach tree.

After the trees were planted the kids went back to the school for lunch.  In the afternoon each class came back one at a time to see how the apple butter was progressing.  We were in the stirring stage of the process and this allowed the kids to get a chance to taste it.  They all loved it and some of them kept coming back for more!

The best part of the day for me was when the kids went to the garden to try and find the plant they planted.  The kids that missed out in the spring were so upset that they didn't have a plant.  One girl told me "I sure wish I went to this school last year.".  The kids ran around the garden yelling at their friends when they found their plant and asking what the different vegetables were.  Most had know idea what an eggplant was so I cut one open and let them see what one looked like.  They all asked if they could take it home with them.  The teachers let them pick some veggies off the vine and so they were running around trying to see who could find the biggest pepper or tomato.   It was so fun watching them.

The last class of the day was Mrs. Kahn's class.  They by far picked the most food.  I had to go find grocery bags so they could take their finds home.  You would think they had chunks of gold in the bags the way the kids were acting.  I have a feeling many pots of chili were made this weekend from the peppers and tomatoes that were picked.  

Mrs. Kahn told me how one of the boys stood up in class a few weeks ago and explained to the class what it feels like to be hungry.  How you get sick, your body hurts, and everything that goes with it.  Needless to say, we loaded up his bag.   This is the best part of this project for me.  To see the excitement in the kids eyes and know that we are helping them help themselves.  By teaching them how to grow food from just a whole in the ground, they can ensure they won't go hungry again.

Give a child a tomato and he can eat for a day, teach him how to grow the tomato and he can eat for a lifetime.

Is locally grown food safe to eat?

That is the question Ksdk.com asked this morning.  And their answer was yes it is.

Their main point was that it is important to know where your food came from.  If you buy a cantaloupe from the store you have no idea where it came from or where it's been.  Not only does it go through the farmers hands but also the warehouse workers, the truck drivers, and the store employees.  When you buy from a local farmer,  like the Old Six Mile Produce Stand, you know it has only been touched a small amount of times.  As with our tomatoes.  They get pulled directly from the plant and put up for sale.  No hot warehouse, no not truck.  That is not only good for the food but also the environment.  Our tomatoes leave less of a carbon footprint than the ones that come from Mexico.

And by buying locally from smaller farms, if you do get sick, it is easier to find out why and contain the problem food.  When the Listeria outbreak happened last week, there were people sick all over the country and it took them awhile to find the problem.  Because our produce isn't shipped anywhere a smaller population runs the risk of getting sick and the problem can be tackled faster.

Any food can make you sick.  It does grow in the ground which can cause some issues.  But by knowing your farmer and buying straight from them it is easier to get the answers you need and the service you deserve.


P.S.  Vote!!!!

Let's try this again

Ok everyone.  The contest is back up and running.  I tried voting today (actually voting 100 times) and it worked just fine.  Wasn't slow and was pretty easy.  The worst part was typing that special word in every time.  But it goes quick which is good.

I want to thank everyone in advance for helping the garden with this.  We are very excited about the thought of getting a greenhouse out on the property.

Kathy

The contest has begun!

Ok everyone, the Grow St. Louis contest has begun.  So we need you to vote, vote, vote.  Here's how to do it.

Go to  http://www.monsanto.com/stlouis/Pages/grow-STL-contest-voting-form.aspx

Our Project title is Greenhouse.  It is easier to search for it if you put it in the search box.  When you get to it vote for it.  The first time it will ask you to enter your email address then will send you an email verification.

You will get an email with a verification link.  Once you click on that it will take you back to the Monsanto page and will notify you that your votes will now count.  You can vote up to 100 times a day.

Please please please vote.

Thanks!
Kathy

Our new logo

The Old Six Mile Community Garden is a finalist in the Monsanto Grow St. Louis contest.  The winning organization gets $15,000.00.  We have entered to get money to build a greenhouse on the museum property.  We are extremely excited about being picked.

A student in Scott Smallie's class at Coolidge designed our logo.  We feel that this is a great tie in to what we believe the garden is.  Not only a chance to grow local food, but also teach kids how they can grow their own garden.   So many kids today haven't even stepped into a garden let alone know how to grow anything.  This will give them a chance to learn how to eat healthy and eat local.

I will be posting voting instructions as soon as I get them.  Please vote often.  You can vote 100 times a day until the end of the contest.  Thanks for your support!

An Apple A Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.  At least that is what we were told by our parents as we were growing up.  Now research is proving that mom was right.  Dutch researchers are reporting that eating fruits and vegetables whose edible parts are white may lower your risk of stroke.






Fruits and vegetables included in the white category were apples, pears, apple juice, apple sauce, bananas, cauliflower, chicory, cucumber and mushrooms.  Good news for us since we are entering apple season.  


Of course, this does not mean we can put away our spinach and broccoli. Eating a wide assortment of fruits and vegetables decreases our risk of chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease.  It is still recommended that we  eat food from all colors of the rainbow.  Red, green, yellow, violet, all provide helpful vitamins and minerals.


To read more on the findings go to: http://yourlife.usatoday.com/health/healthcare/prevention/story/2011-09-16/White-fruits-amp-vegetables-may-lower-stroke-risk/50431028/1

Happy Picking!

Tomatoes

It's not hard to breed a tomato that looks great and tastes like hell---Charles M. Ricl  Preeminent U.S. tomato breeder.


For just 35 calories one medium-sized tomato supplies almost half the recommended daily allowance for vitamin C, and almost 20 percent of the RDAs for vitamin A and fiber.  They also contain lycopine, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals that are believed to help fight cancer and some forms of heart disease.


Everyone is excited when tomatoes start popping up on their backyard vines.  It is because we have had to endure months of store bought awful tomatoes and are ready to taste some that are fresh..  It's not because the farmers are growing bad tomatoes but because the growers must harvest them while they are still unripe and resort to ripening them with blasts of ethylene gas.  This is the only way they can get transported to supermarkets before they spoil.

Personally, I gorge myself on tomatoes during their growing season and impatiently await the day when I see the red, delicious fruit hanging on the vine.  And maybe one day I will learn to can the tomatoes while they are fresh and have wonderful tomatoes all year.  I think I will put that on my bucket list.

Welcome

Welcome to the Granite City Community Garden blog.  It is my wish that this website will provide tips, hints, and interesting details on the wonderful world of gardening.  The community garden is going to be a tool to get the people of Granite City eating healthier.  Look for recipes and how-to's for growing your own garden.  Stay tuned.  It's gonna be fun!