Monthly Archives: November 2019

Farm Update, November 4th, 2019

Hello Morris Campus,

We’re putting the Farm to bed for the winter, which means pulling crops, composting, selective planting to improve the soil over winter, and more! There’s plenty to do and we would love to organize a time to see you, your classes, your groups, and your staff teams for mindfulness activities and loving farm care. In particular we would love to see you all on the last day that the Farm is open – Friday, November 8th for the Fall Harvest Festival; the flyer is attached! 

If you’re interested in bringing your students out please send an email to Jen Hartzell at [email protected] and Ray Garcia at [email protected] with timing, school, number of students/staff, and any particular interest you might have at least a day before your planned visit. 

Schedule:

Mondays and Tuesdays 8am-12pm

Wednesdays and Fridays 9:30am-5:30pm

While at Morris Campus Educational Farm we…

*Use 1 mic in group settings 

*Respect self & others i.e. Keep hands off others, respectful language, work as a team & participate in activities.

*Respect Morris Campus Educational Farm, plants and all living creatures–i.e. Do not pick or take ANYTHING from the farm without asking. Do not stand on top of any structures.

*Be safe with tools and take care of them. i.e. Always prop tools up against wall never leave them on the ground, keep all pointy parts of tools below the knee. 

*Leave it better than when you came. i.e. pick up trash if you see it and keep the MCEF beautiful

News

  • The Farm is closing! This week is the last week to visit MCEF as we prepare the Farm to survive the Winter and thrive in the Spring. The last day is Friday, 11-8-19. 
  • Fall interns were able to visit the farm at Randall’s Island, where we took a tour, helped prepare plants for compost, and harvested rice. Interns came away with suggestions and requests for MCEF in the Spring including new plants and potentially a few chickens!
  • MCEF has been able to donate over 300 pounds of freshly harvested herbs and vegetables to the Cafeteria this season, sharing the bounty with students from all 4 schools whether or not they were able to visit, and over 500 pounds to the community! 
  • We had a great visit from Elementary students from NYC Autism Charter School where participants did tasks like pulling crops and bundling herbs in addition to touching and smelling through the Farm tour. 

Upcoming

  • Fall Interns attended the 2019 Black Urban Growers Conference, participating in workshops focused on compost, cooking, culture, and herbal remedies. They walked away with plenty of goodies to use at home!
  • This Friday, November 8th is the MCEF Harvest Festival and the last day that the Farm is open before next Spring. The flyer is attached!