Happy 1-Year Anniversary, Garden Stand!!!

One year ago today, my heart lit on fire. It was our first Garden Stand, ever. The first in history for our little school. We showcased some veggies from our garden on a table and the whole world blew up, well, at least our world at LCS. Yesterday, we celebrated this beginning during Morning Sing.

Ms. Katy's 3rd graders made the sign to mark an exciting 1 Year Anniversary!

The Garden Stand has brought families together, brought students from different grades together, and brought life to our Edible Schoolyard Program here in Los Angeles. We've been making ourselves known and heard. These students have a platform to showcase what they are passionate about, and perhaps while practicing math and customer-service skills.

One year later and we have raised enough money to build a toolshed (detailed post to come soon!), and funded countless numbers of garden class projects and maintenance, which we would not have the budget for otherwise. More importantly, we have created a space for students to feel connected to, a place where a student is encouraged to be curious about nature, to smell, taste, see and touch the wonders of the world around him/her and ask questions about those wonders. 

Parent volunteers keep our program strong. 

Our newest parent advocate for the garden, though parent school volunteer for long, Kari, volunteered to teach our kids about local birds through a fun activity. Students had a chance to make bird feeders with bird seeds, pine cones and honey. Kari is a woman of her word, come what may. Her pine cones were supposed to have arrived Friday night, too late for the Garden Stand in the morning, so the night before, she went to Griffith Park to gather pine cones in nature. Talk about dedication. And, she was so happy to do it. So were our students. Thank you, Kari!!

We learned food plants for birds are affected by drought. 

Of course, Kari is just one of a number of Garden parent volunteers whom I adoringly call my "Garden Groupies": JP, Cassey, Victoria, Afroza, Robertino, Julie, Andrew, John, Soo, Bea, Jolie, Eric, Giselle and Cindy. Without these people, the Garden wouldn't be how beautiful and productive it is, and I would not have the moral support or resources to teach the 308 students who come through our Garden each week.

Cassey and Soo surprised me with this banner!!!

Two of our Garden Groupies Cassey and Soo surprised our Garden Stand with this beautiful banner!!! Now, we will always have a sign. It says "LCS Garden Stand, EST. May 2nd, 2014". This banner officiates our Garden Stand into the books, marking a milestone for our little Garden, and for my own personal quest. I feel like we have created a real legacy and when my time comes to an end here at LCS and I pursue other quests, and our students have moved onto high school and college, a part of us will always be left here. 

Our most dedicated parents and customers: Jolie and Afroza!

But until that day comes when I pass on the torch, may we keep striving to push ourselves to really make a difference in our community, to spark inspirations which resonate somewhere farther and somewhere deeper. Viva La Garden Stand!!!

*photos by Tiffanie Ma