At the request of the County Health Department's Project LEAN, Convivium leader Laurence Hauben assisted by Slow Food Santa Barbara members prepared a healthy Slow Food dinner that was enjoyed by close to eighty students and family members at La Cumbre Junior High School.	Slow Food member Merryl Brown (wearing the apron) spearheaded the Montecito Union School garden project, and conducts a weekly Healthy Snacks program that offers children fun, tasty, vibrantly healthy foods.	With your support, the Franklin/Cesar Chavez School Campus could be turned into a thriving garden that will function as a teaching tool for everything from math and science to creative writing and nutrition education.

DON'T MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP!

Leanne Patterson, teacher at Cesar Chavez elementary school (on the campus of Franklin school), is starting a school garden. The first bed is quite small (2 by 8 feet), but she and the children are also designing a “dream garden,” that would be larger. Right now she needs donations of expertise, seeds and seedlings, seed starting mix and pots, full spectrum lights for indoor seed starting, organic compost, fertilizer, hand tools, and gardening books accessible to 4th graders. To contact Leanne, please e-mail her.

Let’s make this our first Slow Food Santa Barbara community project of the year.

Warm regards,

Laurence

VALENTINE'S DAY CESAR CHAVEZ SCHOOL GARDEN UPDATE

Today I brought seeds, a seed-starting kit, seed starting mix, fertilizer, and gardening tools to the school. I also took along a book called "Digging Deeper," which is a really good resource guide for anyone who wishes to integrate a garden in their teaching plans.
Island Seed & Feed generously sponsored the purchase of seeds and supplies by giving us a 40% discount. The cost to our Convivium account was $33.34, which I think you will agree is a bargain! Hurrah and Thank You Matt, Brenton, and the Island Seed & Feed team!
Teacher Leanne Patterson was very excited and grateful. The school Principal has given her permission to designate as gardening time the period from 1:00 pm to 1:45 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. At our first meeting in January we had selected a sunny strip of ground where weeds thrived as our first garden plot. I suggested that she and her students cover the soil with layers of newspaper to kill the weeds. They did, and it worked, so now the soil is ready for planting. The children have also been drawing their "Dream Garden," which is the first step toward transforming a larger area into a beautiful garden that will incorporate fruit trees.
The students will begin planting seeds for their first garden next week. Soon radishes, sweet lettuces, sugar snap peas,
rainbow chard, nasturtiums, marigolds, basil, and cilantro will grow. The cherry tomatoes and carrots will take a bit longer, but learning patience and the importance of giving regular care to things you want to bring to fruition is an important part of the many lessons the children will learn.
We can use more hand tools, a rake, a hoe, some good compost, gardening books, a storage bin, a compost bin, and seeds of sweet peppers, summer squashes, beans, and eggplant. And of course, we can use your help in the garden.

Slow Food USA is committed to awakening children to the enjoyment and health benefits of quality foods
and the principles of land stewardship through the Slow Food in Schools program.
Slow Food in Schools helps children develop an appreciation for real, wholesome food
and an understanding of sustainable food practices.
Local educators and community health organizations who would like support in creating a school garden
or implementing a taste and nutrition education program are invited to contact us.
We will do everything in our power to assist you.
Warm regards,

Laurence Hauben,
Slow Food Santa Barbara Convivium leader

Click Here to download the Slow Food USA guide: “How to Start a Slow Food in Schools Project”