The fascinating world of the Orca K-8 school garden!

Garden art!

anthonywarner — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:06:58 +0000

Use what you got to make art! Especially when it’s mint leaves, sage, lavender, calendula flowers, and all the other goodies in the Orca garden. The imagination of these lil’ guys never ceases to amaze me. We made plant collages with some glue and boy did we have fun. Now we finally have the greenhouse back after its jungle status has been reduced to a small forest of OG plants. More art please!

FREE PLANTS!

anthonywarner — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:20:20 +0000

UW volunteer Sophie wants you to grow these for folks.

We want to hook you up with some free plants if you will grow them for those in need. We have tons of tomatoes, squashes, greens, broccoli- so many organic starters. Whether you are a school, food bank, or community garden- we want to set you up. Feel free to let anyone know!

Email us at orcagarden@gmail.com and let us know about any organization that would like these plants.

Giving back (to the kids)! Eat up.

anthonywarner — Mon, 13 May 2013 21:02:39 +0000

Here, have a tomato!

Yes, students grew all the lovely tomatoes we grew. From seed, to plant, to transplant, and eventually to your dinner table- they did it all! So it’s only fitting that they become part of the population that gets our plants for free. Cherry tomatoes for everybody! This also gives them a chance to take the “garden” home with them and share it with their family. So today we drew on some plant cups, transplanted their cherry tomatoes, and drank some mint tea.

2013 plant sale! The best ever!

anthonywarner — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:40:22 +0000

Let the madness begin! 10am

Thanks for everyone’s support of our annual Orca garden sale! It was a beautiful day full of organic veggie starts, fun, crafts, baked goods, and so much more. This event is about putting good food on people’s tables and we are honored to help people and their family eat fresh, local, and organic. This event is a perfect example of social enterprise- instead of wondering when donations are gonna roll in (they won’t!), we get to planting and giving people a product they can use (while we in turn get their hard earned cashola!). What is left over is donated to many schools, community gardens, foodbanks, and ANYONE who will grow food for those in need. Call/email us and get hooked up!

Much thanks to all the amazing volunteers who made this happen- we love you! It takes a village right?

Plus we can add that we broke our previous record for sales- them plants was looking good! And so were all you amazing people as you walked away with them.

It’s a family affair

Parents Magazine blurb about Orca

anthonywarner — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:52:01 +0000

Parents magazine just wrote a little profile on the Orca Garden w/ a recipe for chard/leek soup also. Plus we just hit 70,000 views on the blog. Frrrrrrrrrresh!

Connecting Orca & the food bank

anthonywarner — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:00:58 +0000

We have a really great relationship with the Rainier Valley Food Bank. We are looking to get even GREATER as we seek to grow & donate a record amount of greens & food in the garden this year. In addition to the fresh produce, we are looking to donate 7,000 + cans of food for the food bank. Our “A Kid, A Can, A Month” program has been generating a lot of food for the RVFB. The last couple o’ days we have been harvesting buckets of chard from the garden and I dropped them off today. The kindergarteners really got into the idea of helping those in need. Is there a better lesson to learn in kindergarten?

Thumbs up if ya like helping people out

We really want to donate over 1,000 pounds of fresh produce to RVFB this year. As the Pointer Sisters say on this fabulous SOUL TRAIN performance- Yes We Can! (Check out those dance moves!)

Food fight! Processed foods get the hip hop treatment.

anthonywarner — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:43:51 +0000

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to make change happen- obviously it starts with ourselves and then manifests in the actions that impact those around us. But with this food & green revolution- I have a “beef” with people like Michael Pollen who rarely address economics & race in their preaching to the foodie masses. It’s not as simple of a choice for those living in food deserts, those without access to fertile plots of land, & those who simply don’t have the economic means to provide themselves with organic, natural, & fresh foods. So what’s the solution? I’m not gonna pretend to have the answer- but I still strive to search for answers, better solutions, and paths that are equitable for all of our urban communities. NOW- enter this cool video. It uses hip hop to tell the story of processed foods & how they impact people of color. These fellas see it as a battle- a war being raged on poor and marginalized communities. So what do they fight back with- FOOD! I think that the moral of this tale is that ultimately- no matter how economically challenged we are- we have a choice. That choice, even when it’s small and seemingly insignificant is in itself- power.

Orca Plant Sale May 11, 2013!

anthonywarner — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:16:27 +0000

Yes! The date is upon us. 5/11 from 10am-3pm. The annual Orca Plant Sale is the place for all your organic starter plant needs. Students grow most of these plants! Tomatoes are our specialty (we have over 20 varieties!) We will also have tons of other fruit trees & bushes, native plants, & fragrant herbs from our friends Cascadian Edible Landscapes & Go Natives also. Most of what doesn’t sell is donated to local school gardens, community groups, and food bank p-patch gardens. So come support this great community event! All the proceeds benefit Orca having the only fully integrated garden education program in Washington. Stick around and hang out with our good buddies The Makery- a mobile craft experience like no other. There will be live music, baked goodies, and more. See ya soon!

A greenhouse of goodness.

Orca salmon released!

anthonywarner — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 20:47:15 +0000

Freedom soooon!

It’s always a special day when we release the salmon we have grown from eggs. Most of the school marches down to Seward Park (1.1 miles away), where our release location is. They get to hang out with the lil’ guys for a minute and say “see ya later” (not goodbye because they will return in 2-3 years!). This day is always close to Earth Day & Spring Break too- so it’s a tad celebratory. The rain & cold couldn’t dampen our spirits.

Kindergarten!

It’s great to see students engaged in REAL change & ecology work- not just purely conceptual. Pour the salmon in- watch them swim away and BAM- connection made.

Two lil’ guys were left in the tank…but not forgotten!

Hey- i had to talk the talk and scooter back down to Seward Park because two were accidentally left in the tank!!!

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Kale Chips!

anthonywarner — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 21:36:06 +0000

Kindergarten likes…

Yes kale chips are the “in” “foodie” thing to do for sure- they are a delicious & quick snack popular with kids and adults alike. Just bake for a little over 5 minutes with a little olive oil and salt. We harvested this kale from our p-patch down the street and just cooked it right up. 99% of kids like this snack. Voila! Green goodness.

3rd grade likes…