Gardening Application for your Phone!

There was a short blurb of an article in the Greenville paper last weekend talking about gardening applications for your phone. These apps can be really helpful when you're trying to identify pests and problems in your garden. Here's a link to a Windows Mobile program that will give you a sense of what all you can find on these gardening applications!! http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/en-us/totalaccess/columns/windows-mobile-gardening.mspx

The South Carolina Department of Agriculture and Hugh Weathers, Commissioner, announce the recipients of the 2010 Eat Smart, It’s in the Garden Mini-Grant program to start or improve a school vegetable garden.
The nine recipients of a $1,000 grant are: Holly Springs Elementary, Pickens; Gray Court-Owings Elementary, Gray Court; Ford Elementary, Laurens; Okatie Elementary, Beaufort;

Nevitt Forest, Anderson; York Technical College, Rock Hill;

Summit Drive Elementary, Greenville; Stone Academy, Greenville; and Hendersonville Elementary, Walterboro.
The 2009 grant recipients will also continue their school garden programs with $500 grants at their respective schools, as well as serving as mentors and resources for the nine new grant recipients. The mentors are: Pontiac Elementary, Elgin; Central Child Development Center, Rock Hill; Mellichamp Elementary, Orangeburg; Birchwood Middle School, DJJ and Pauline-Glenn Springs, Pauline.
The Eat Smart, It’s in the Garden mini-grant program is a partnership between the non-profit Eat Smart, Move More SC and the S.C. Department of Agriculture that encourages schools to incorporate school gardens, healthy eating habits and agricultural appreciation into their school communities. The grant period runs from January 1 to June 30, 2010.

New Garden at the Anna Boyd School

Great success story about a school garden at the Anna Boyd School : http://www.thestate.com/local/story/1071330.html This community garden is made possible primarily through the efforts of two gardening volunteers Clarence McNeil and Irma Smith-Lowman. Can't wait to see what they grow this coming Spring!!

Barnwell Ag Ed Program Awarded Hydroponics Grant!

The Barnwell County Career Center Agricultural Education Department was recently awarded a “Hooked On Hydroponics” grant through the National Gardening Association. The grant is funded by The Grow Store in conjunction with the Progressive Gardening Association.
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in nutrient solutions (water containing fertilizers) with or without the use of an artificial medium (sand, gravel, vermiculite, sawdust and others). Most hydroponic operations are housed in greenhouses, which allows for greater control of growing variables, and can lead to more efficient growing practices, including conservation of water and great control of fertilizer run-off.
“The grant will be used to purchase hydroponic equipment needed to install this unique method of gardening on our campus,” said Mindy Sandifer, Agricultural Education instructor at the center. “This was my first attempt at submitting a grant proposal and I look forward to using the funds to make hydroponics an integral part of our plant science curriculum,” she added.
Amanda Wiggins, Grants Administrator with the National Gardening Association, said the proposal was chosen for the award because the application demonstrated clear educational goals and commitment to helping students gain hands-on experience with the joys and wonders of gardening.

Nominations for Outstanding Educator Award!!

The South Carolina Farm Bureau Women's Committee evaulates and presents an award to the an outstanding educator in South Carolina based upon his or her teaching programs incorporating agriculture into their classroom curriculum. Teachers working with Kindergartners through the 8th grade are eligible for consideration. The nominee must have designated and implemented a lesson/unit/project about the food and fiber industry within the last school year (August – June). For more information about this award, please visit: http://scfb.org/getinvolved/agintheclassroom/bettyjdewittoutstandingeducatoraward.aspx

or contact Vonne Baker.

S.C. Veggies & Fruit Coloring Book

DHEC has partnered with the S.C. Department of Agriculture to print english and spanish versions of the S.C. Fruit & Veggies Coloring Book. The coloring book features a wide variety of fruits and veggies grown in South Carolina, as well as a seasonal produce availability chart in the back to help students learn when certain fruits and veggies are in season. For more information about downloading or obtaining copies of the coloring book, please visit: https://agriculture.sc.gov/content.aspx?ContentID=789

Jesse Boyd School Healthy Eating Study

Recent, students from Wofford and USC Upstate conducted an interesting project with Kindergarteners and 1st Graders at Jesse Boyd school. The project was looking at helping younger kids to make healthy eating choices. The results were dramatic!! For more information, check out this great article : http://www.goupstate.com/article/20091123/ARTICLES/911231013/1112?Title=More-Jesse-Boyd-students-choosing-healthy-foods&tc=autorefresh