Re: Scrumptious Swiss Chard from Alegria Fresh

No problem! Lots of parents read our blog so I hope this will help spread the word about Alegria to our community :) 

On Tue, Jun 16, 2015 at 6:17 PM, Erik Cutter <erikcutter99@gmail.com> wrote:

It is our pleasure Jaynie, 

Thanks for the shout-out!

Cheers,

Erik Cutter
Managing Director
Alegría Fresh
cell (949) 230-2486

On Jun 16, 2015, at 2:34 PM, Jaynie Loeb wrote:

Last week, Anneliese was thrilled to receive a very generous donation from local farmer Erik Cutter of Alegria Fresh, a sustainable farm located at The Great Park in Irvine. Our students loved Alegria's delicious Swiss chard, which our kitchen staff prepared as a side dish, sautéed with lemon and garlic. A big thank you to Erik and his hard working team for sharing their wonderful bounty with Anneliese Schools! 

Erik grows a beautiful variety of fresh and nutritious crops using hydroponic and organic methods. Check out his website for more information and to learn how you can access his healthy produce: http://alegriafresh.com/alegriafarm.html. 

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Re: Scrumptious Swiss Chard from Alegria Fresh

It is our pleasure Jaynie, 

Thanks for the shout-out!

Cheers,

Erik Cutter
Managing Director
Alegría Fresh
cell (949) 230-2486

On Jun 16, 2015, at 2:34 PM, Jaynie Loeb wrote:

Last week, Anneliese was thrilled to receive a very generous donation from local farmer Erik Cutter of Alegria Fresh, a sustainable farm located at The Great Park in Irvine. Our students loved Alegria's delicious Swiss chard, which our kitchen staff prepared as a side dish, sautéed with lemon and garlic. A big thank you to Erik and his hard working team for sharing their wonderful bounty with Anneliese Schools! 

Erik grows a beautiful variety of fresh and nutritious crops using hydroponic and organic methods. Check out his website for more information and to learn how you can access his healthy produce: http://alegriafresh.com/alegriafarm.html. 

<IMG_5226.JPG>

Scrumptious Swiss Chard from Alegria Fresh

Last week, Anneliese was thrilled to receive a very generous donation from local farmer Erik Cutter of Alegria Fresh, a sustainable farm located at The Great Park in Irvine. Our students loved Alegria's delicious Swiss chard, which our kitchen staff prepared as a side dish, sautéed with lemon and garlic. A big thank you to Erik and his hard working team for sharing their wonderful bounty with Anneliese Schools! 

Erik grows a beautiful variety of fresh and nutritious crops using hydroponic and organic methods. Check out his website for more information and to learn how you can access his healthy produce: http://alegriafresh.com/alegriafarm.html. 

Last Farmer's Market of the Year

On Friday, June 12th, Willowbrook celebrated its final Farmer's Market of the 2014-2015 school year. What a success it was! We raised nearly $160 for the Anneliese garden fund, selling a colorful assortment of goodies, from fresh apples and rainbow carrots, to native wildflower seeds and handmade lavender honey butter. We even sold our home-grown and highly nutrient-rich Worm Compost to a happy backyard gardener (see last blog post for more info). After a short break for the summer, our markets will be back in full swing beginning in September so stay tuned! 

4th Graders Rock Springtime Farmer's Market!

On Friday, May 1st, Ms. Lauren's 4th grade class hosted a beautiful market to share the bounty of the Willowbrook Garden with the school community. Ms. Sam, who works in the Anneliese Garden Programs, helped students sell a myriad of home-grown and hand-crafted goodies, from Loquats and Purple Potatoes, to Mint Lemonade and Coconut Rose Body Scrub. All in all, the market was a HUGE success and Ms. Lauren's class was able to raise $435.40 for their end of the year field trip! 

What is Compost and How Can You Use it at Home?

GARDEN NEWS

THE SCOOP ON COMPOST

Simply put, compost is organic matter (such as leaves, food scraps, manure) that has decomposed over time into a nutrient-rich resource beneficial to plant growth. Worms, bacteria, and fungi break down organic matter through biological processes, turning these raw materials into compost, a natural and highly effective fertilizer. Compost can then be applied to soil for a wide range of benefits. The first and most direct benefit is providing plants with essential nutrients (like nitrogen and phosphorus) for optimal health and development. Additionally, compost allows soil to retain up to 20% more water, which reduces watering frequency, builds drought resistance, and saves time, money, and ultimately our precious resource. Finally, compost improves the structure of soil, controls weeds, and suppresses a number of plant diseases. The list of benefits goes on, and it's clear that compost is a key component of agricultural sustainability and conservation.

ANNELIESE'S HOMEGROWN COMPOST

Under the guidance of our wonderful garden teacher Mr. Greg as well as our amazing maintenance crew, Willowbrook produces its very own compost. Our regular or "thermal" compost comes from a 3-bin system that uses the method of pile turning to break down organic matter, as this movement generates the heat and oxygen needed to support the organisms that cause decomposition. We also make "worm" compost, which is specifically the waste product of worms after they have broken down organic matter. Our compost is used for educational purposes during garden classes and is also applied to the soil to create a healthy growing environment.  

ANNELIESE COMPOST

Recently, the Willowbrook Garden has been able to generate enough compost to share with our families! We now sell both thermal and worm compost at our monthly Farmer's Markets - don't miss our last one of the year coming up this Friday, June 12th!

Here are some ways you can use our high quality compost at home:

• Add a layer of thermal compost to the top of your garden beds or potted plants.

• Sprinkle thermal compost around the bases of the trees on your property
• Create a tea solution using worm compost and water your plants with it. Follow this link for specific steps on how to make Worm Tea: http://preparednessmama.com/worm-castings-tea/