…Desmond the field mouse wants to carve the biggest jack-o’-lantern in the neighborhood with his pumpkin. Clayton the house mouse wants to win the Biggest Pumpkin contest with his. But when they discover that their choice pumpkins are actually the same one, Desmond and Clayton decide to work together to grow the biggest pumpkin ever!…
…r Pumpkin Exploration How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? Introduce students to pumpkins and how they grow. Use a pumpkin seed activity to practice sorting and counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s. October Potato Exploration Two Old Potatoes and Me Introduce students to potatoes and how they grow. Teach students about measurement and guide them practicing close observation through potato explorations. November Thanksgiving for Farmers The Gardener Review a…
…bers of the cucurbit plant family, along with their cousins summer squash, pumpkins, and melons. They’re warm season veggies that are planted in our mountain region in the late spring after the danger of frost has passed. After being pollinated be bees or other insects, their small yellow flowers grow into prickly green cucumbers. These vining plants can produce an abundance of fruit from mid summer through early fall. Use the resources and recipe…
…: peas, beans, and peanuts), and cucurbit family (examples: summer squash, pumpkins, and cucumbers). Knowing which plants are in the same family helps scientists, gardeners, and farmers draw on helpful information. For instance, plants in the same family often require similar growing conditions, and they may be susceptible to the same pests and diseases. Growers can use this information to decide when and where to plant their crops each year. Th…
…Cucumbers are great sliced as a snack. They grow on vines, and sometimes farmers train them to climb trellises to keep the cucumbers off the ground. They belong to the same family as pumpkins, zucchini, and other squashes. Cucumbers are commonly used in Chinese, Greek, and Middle Eastern dishes. They can be pickled or used fresh in salads, dips, or sandwiches. Look for local cucumbers in grocery stores and your school cafeteria this month!…
…ecord daily temperatures. Pumpkin Exploration (K-2): Introduce students to pumpkins and how they grow. Use a pumpkin seed activity to practice sorting and counting in 2s, 5s, and 10s. Sweet Potato Applesauce (K-2): A no-heat recipe that features local apples and sweet potatoes, with literature and curriculum connections. Harvesting the Garden (K-2): Students will review characteristics of mature produce and learn how to harvest different types of…
…to harvest until the summer or fall: Tomatoes Beans Peppers Squash Melons Pumpkins Zucchini Gourds Eggplant 6. Get a good start. Some types of plants need to be started indoors weeks/months before they can be planted outside. Most seed packages will give you a recommendation as to when seeds should be planted and if they need to be started indoors. If you have good light or grow lamps you and your students can plant “starts” beginning in Febru…
…omatoes, snow peas, lettuce, pears, sweet potatoes, raspberries, radishes, pumpkins, or turnips. Visit this North Carolina Produce Availability chart for a full list of seasonal availability for North Carolina. Ready to start planning your Crunch? We’ve created a Crunch Guide with information on sourcing your produce, curriculum connections, social media and press release templates to help you share your Crunch with the local community, and more…
…A video series by Growing Minds Meet some of the people who grow your food! Our Meet Your Farmer and Junior Farm Tour videos provide students and families with virtual tours of family farms in Western North Carolina. Each video is paired with complementary educational resources, including comprehension questions, lesson plans, and more….
…Mrs. Millie has a silly way with words that keeps her kindergartners on their toes during a farm field trip to a pumpkin patch….