New Roots Youth Garden Plans Farm Stand This Year

Collecting seeds for next year’s garden is one of the learning experiences at New Roots. (Photo: Tammy Holloway)

By TAMMY HOLLOWAY
Special to the Wave

June 17, 2013

The youth of Cape Charles have already planted the seeds for their vegetable garden and are gearing up to begin to reap their harvest.

The New Roots Youth Group are taking applications for the 2^nd annual Summer Garden Club on the corner of Fig and Randolph beside Rayfield’s Pharmacy.

The club begins Thursday, June 20. Youths 6-12 can sign up for the free program, organized by volunteers from the youth recreation department of the Town of Cape Charles, Cape Charles Rotary, Eastern Shore Master Gardeners, and Northampton 4-H program.

The NRYG Summer Garden Club meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays and offers hands-on vegetable gardening, composting, and learning from garden gurus.

Children can attend the entire program or select from the weeks focused on an area of interest they may have (insects, butterflies, birds, etc.).

This year the NRYG participants will be running their very own farm stand on Thursday at the garden site.

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Kids last year showed a keen interest in understanding how much their harvest would cost if they bought it in the grocery store. So this year the children will harvest and weigh vegetables, while learning how to set prices and market their produce.

Of course, customer service and sales will be a large part of this learning opportunity.

“Last year children were encouraged to take home their harvest and come back and tell us what they tried.  They knew they could only take home something if they were going to try it and report back to the group,” explains Christina Ruszczyk-Murray, Northampton County Extension Agent Unit Coordinator,4-H Youth Development .

The New Roots Youth Garden program is committed to providing opportunities for local youth to develop personal growth, environmental stewardship, healthy lifestyles, social skills and awareness, community spirit, business proficiency, and the joy and satisfaction of meaningful work.

The goals are realized by growing, eating, and sharing the harvest in creative, fun, and healthy ways. “Last year it was amazing to see how many children had never tried fresh vegetables and how many parents were shocked at what they would try — it’s incredible what they will eat if they grow it,” says Laurie Klingel, Chairman of the NRYG Board of Directors.

For more information about NRYG, contact [email protected] or call 757-331-3259 x18.

Volunteers are welcome!