Three Sisters Workshop at the Market

   On June 15 we led a workshop at the Hub City Farmer's Market about the Native American companion planting method called the Three Sisters. The three sisters are corn, beans and squash. Sturdy cornstalks of the kind used for grain provide a trellis for pole beans to climb, the beans help fix nitrogen in the soil and the squash grows along the ground, helping to suppress weeds and shade the soil so it does not dry out.

   For the first activity of the day, we acted out the legend of the Three Sisters. There are many versions, but ours was based on this one. Next, we planted soaked seeds in a barrel that belongs to Miriam. She will keep the barrel in her garden and we will take pictures to share as the plants grow. And all throughout the morning, kids could come and put together seed kits decorated with stickers.

   Each seed kit contained heirloom seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange. The seed varieties were Pungo Creek Butcher corn, Selma Zesta pole beans and Seminole pumpkins. The kits also included instruction sheets printed from Kids Gardening.

   Stay tuned for the announcement of our next market workshop and the special guest who will be joining us!

Hub City Farmer's Market, Here We Come!

As part of our ongoing goal to help kids learn to raise and grow their own food, we will be coordinating a series of workshops each month at the Hub City Farmer's Market. Some of our instructors will even be market vendors! Each project will have a take home activity with instructions and resources so kids can continue what they've learned at home with their parents.

some of our market kids!

We are conducting these workshops free of charge, but we sure could use your help to defray the cost of materials. Below is a list of supplies we will need. Some can be saved from the recycling bin. Others may be something you have that you are not using. In any case, thank you in advance for any help you can give. And please share with your friends in the Spartanburg area! :)

Materials:
kid sized watering cans
printer paper
garden themed stickers, stamps and ink pads
snack sized resealable bags
gallon resealable bags
2 large bags organic potting soil
construction paper
stapler
100 small spray bottles
colored tape
100 small peat pots
peat moss
50 quart glass jars

sand

dark potting soil

leaf compost

50 sheets black construction paper

clear tape

scissors

gel pens for decorating (optional)

"Hare" Raising Fun

Our first Friday evening family potluck workshop was a great success! We had 14 kids and 7 adults altogether, and lifetime rabbit keeper, Mr. Pat Cox, gave a wonderful, interactive presentation. Here is a clip from the class: