Feb 2012 Louisiana School Gardening News ` For more information, Please see websites below: ` Organic Edible Schoolyards & Gardening with Children http://scribd.com/doc/239851214 ` Double your School Garden Food Production with Organic Tech http://scribd.com/doc/239851079 ` Free School Gardening Art Posters http://scribd.com/doc/239851159` ` Companion Planting Increases School Garden Food Production by 250 Percent http://scribd.com/doc/239851159 ` Healthy Foods Dramatically Improves Student Academic Success http://scribd.com/doc/239851348 ` City Chickens for your Organic School Garden http://scribd.com/doc/239850440 ` Simple Square Foot Gardening for Schools - Teacher Guide http://scribd.com/doc/239851110

1. Veggie Bytes 2012
February— March—April
Volume 3, Issue 1
Ponchatoula High School Students Present “Food
for Thought” a Farm-to-Table Dining Experience
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Ponchatoula High
Presents Food for
Thought
1
What’s Growing 2
Soil is so much 3
Connecting the
Classroom:
4
Vericomposting for
the classroom
5
Taste Test/Soil Test 6
Under the direction of Ms. Alice Dubois, 220 Agri‐Science and Future Farmers of
America (FFA) students at Ponchatoula High have constructed and maintained 75 4x8ft
raised beds and 15 wheel chair accessible gardens. Students grow vegetables, strawber‐ries
and herbs in both spring and summer gardens. Excess produce has been donated to
local homeless shelters, food banks, and senior citizen apartment complexes.
Ms. Dubois and New Orleans’ chef Dickie Brennon have partnered to create “a farm‐to‐
table” fundraiser benefit dinner. The event is billed as “Food for Thought”, Poncha‐toula’s
Culinary Event of the Year. In addition to growing produce in the garden, stu‐dents
also began raising duck to add to their menu. Local producers Covey Rise Farms,
Community Coffee, Old New Orleans Louisiana Rum, Cajun Grains, P&J, and Abita
Springs have already committed to sponsorship of this event, and students are encour‐aging
other local producers to join in.
When asked how many hours it has taken to coordinate this event, Ms. Dubois stated
“It was impossible to determine. This is such a team effort. Anyone who wants to do
something like this has to be really passionate about what they do.” Ms. Dubois adds ”A
farm‐to‐table” meal is an excellent concept that can be used to teach so many different
things from world hunger to local food production.”
“Focus on what you want to accomplish. We want to make this an educational event.
We want anyone who comes to this event to leave with a much greater understanding
of the farmers in the commu‐nity
and the availability of
fresh food to all groups, to
understand that there is food
insecurity in our local commu‐nity”
Dubois said.
Alice Dubois has taught
Agri Science courses for 17
years. She continues to incor‐porate
horticulture concepts
into her curriculum because
she believes it is a great learn‐ing
tool for students, not only
to learn about plant science
and environmental issues, but
they (the students) see value in what
they are doing. They learn the skill of
growing and providing food for them‐selves
Ponchatoula High Agri Science and
FFA students enjoying their garden.
and their families. Alice works closely with Mrs. Sandra Benjamin, the county
agent in Tangipahoa parish. Sandra Benjamin and other county agents are excellent
resources provided by the LSU AgCenter to schools across the state.
Continued on page 6
Page Veggie Bytes

2. What’s Growing!
Gardening tips
Start gearing up for your spring vegetable garden
now so that you can harvest produce before school
lets out for the summer. Typically in Louisiana, spring
vegetable crops are not planted outdoors before the
last frost date. South Louisiana gardeners can plant
around March 15th, North Louisiana gardeners should
wait until April 1st. However, if you want to harvest a
few ripe tomatoes, peppers, etc. before school lets
out you’ll need to start transplants indoors. To grow
transplants, plant seeds into containers in a sterile
soil “germinating mix” indoors (in a sunny window).
Do not move these transplants or seedlings into the
garden until they have developed their first true
leaves and after the last chance of frost. See the
planting guide for vegetables that can be planted
now.
Vegetables to plant in February
In the garden direct seed: beets, turnips, mus‐tard,
parsley, radishes, lettuce, snap beans and
Irish potatoes.
In the garden plant transplants of: broccoli, cau‐liflower,
cabbage, and lettuce.
In the classroom: start transplants of tomatoes,
peppers, and eggplant.
Vegetables to Plant in March
In the garden direct seed: snap beans, Swiss
chard, radish, lettuce, collard greens, mustards,
and turnips.
In the garden plant transplants of: tomatoes,
peppers and eggplants.
In the classroom: start cucumber transplants,
plant after last frost
Vegetables to plant in April
In the garden direct seed: snap beans, butter
beans, radish, collards, and cucumbers.
In the garden transplant: sweet potato slips, to‐matoes,
peppers, and eggplant.
If you have a year‐round school program or summer
classes that will care for and work in the garden, you
can also plant the following vegetables. Sweet corn can
be directly seeded into the garden in LATE February.
Plant cantaloupes, squash, cucumbers, and watermel‐ons
well after danger of frost is over. This is usually af‐ter
March 15th in south Louisiana and closer to April 1
in North Louisiana. Okra, Southern peas (field peas),
peanuts, pumpkins, winter squash, summer squash,
and sweet corn can be direct seeded into the garden in
April. These vegetables are not generally recom‐mended
for school gardens that will not be tended by
students during the summer. Students should be al‐lowed
to harvest everything they plant.
Soil! Get the Inside Scoop
by David Lindbo and others.
Suggested book: Copyrighted by the Soil Science Soci‐ety
of America, Inc. ISBN # 2008930771. This is a won‐derful
book covering all aspects of soil from formation
through uses, benefits and soil types. A must read for all
life science and earth and space science teachers! Al‐though
this book was written for students ages 9‐12, I
think it is an excellent resource for all classrooms.
Page 2 Veggie Bytes

3. Soil is so much more than dirt!
needle and leaf detritus laid upon the surface, and animal manures
spread far and wide. Did you know there are more microorganisms
in one tablespoon of soil, than there are people living on earth?
These microorganisms help to make medicines that keep us safe
from disease. But soil does much more than that… Special clays
and organic matter in the soil store nutrients needed by plants. In
essence, they are like Mother Nature’s own fertilizer. Soils store
water as it slowly percolates through the various layers and pro‐vide
shelter for a wide range of animals.
Soil science is a wonderful career which integrates a number of
different scientific
disciplines such as chemistry, physics, geology, and biology. You
might think soil scientists dig around all day in the sun with shovels.
On the contrary, soil scientists use some of the most cutting edge
scientific equipment available such as portable x‐ray fluorescence
spectrometry, diffuse reflectance spectrometry, ground penetrating
radar, neutron probes, satellite imagery, geographic information
systems, and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy.
Whether you’re looking for a challenging career, or just wanting
to learn more about soils, check out these great web resources:
www.soils.org; http://soils.usda.gov/; http://www.iuss.org/. Re‐member;
soil is much more than dirt! Be good stewards of the soil
for future generations and touch the land lightly.
David Weindorf
Soil. It is one of our most underappreci‐ated
natural resources. Oil, coal, and natural
gas may dominate modern media, but with‐out
soil, you would be hungry and naked.
Think about it. From the soil, we grow vast
amounts of crops (corn, oats, wheat, rice, bar‐ley,
sunflower, potatoes, etc.); staples which
we depend upon for everything from bread to
potato chips. Wood for home construction
comes from trees supported by soil. Soil puri‐fies
our water, insulates us from extreme
temperatures, even forms bricks from which
our cities are built. Ancient civilizations have
risen and fallen based upon their soil re‐sources,
and today with the world population
exceeding 7 billion, soil is more important
than ever.
But how do you determine the best uses
for your soil? Pedologists are specially trained
soil scientists who study the soil and its prop‐erties.
They evaluate a wide range of physical,
chemical, and biological soil properties and
group soils into a taxonomic classification sys‐tem
which helps landowners and farmers un‐derstand
how to use their soil resources
wisely.
Using field portable x-ray fluorescence
spectrometry to assess peri-urban
heavy metal contamination in soils of
southern Louisiana.
Soil is essentially a loose collection of very
small mineral grains; sand, silt, and clay, in
various proportions. Organic matter is added
to this mix via the degradation of old roots,
Desert soils laden
with gypsum
in southeastern
New Mexico.
Sampling a vol-canic
ash soil in
northern Idaho
Page 3 Veggie Bytes

4. Connecting the Classroom to the Garden
Which Soil Is Best?
Materials Needed:
◊ Dixie cups
◊ Pencils
◊ Sharpie markers
◊ Bean, lettuce, radish seeds
◊ Watering can
◊ 4 types of soil: 1 bag of sand, 1 bag of top soil, 1 bag of peat moss, and soil from the school yard or your backyard
◊ A sunny window sill or outdoor space (full sunlight)
◊ A tray
Instructions:
◊ Divide students into groups of 3 to 4.
◊ Provide each group with 4 Dixie cups. Have students poke one to two holes in the bottom of each Dixie cup (this
is for drainage).
◊ Label each cup with the
◊ Group name
◊ Plant type grown (bean, radish or lettuce)
◊ Type of soil used. You may do this activity with only one type of plant but using several is more fun. Each
plant MUST be grown in all four soil types.
◊ Fill each label cup with soil. Fill cups to the top and water in. The soil will settle.
◊ Next plant the seeds. Seeds should only be planted two times as deep as they are wide! Planting the seeds too
deep will result in poor germination.
◊ Water the cups as needed. Cups will feel light weight when they need water. Make sure soil remains damp but
not saturated. Placing the cups on a tray will help contain any water that runs out of the cups.
◊ Keep cups in a very sunny location!
◊ Over the next 3 weeks record:
◊ Days to germination
◊ Plant height
◊ Give a visual rating on color (pale green, yellow, medium green, dark green).
◊ After all of the data is collected. Ask students to report their results to the class. Make a chart on the board to
record class data. Which soil grew the best plants? Did different soils work better for different plants?
Page 4 Veggie Bytes

5. Basic Vermicomposting for the Classroom and Home
Why Vermicomposting?
• Quickly, easily, and inexpensively produce nutrient‐packed soil amendment for gardens and/or potted plants.
• Increase the beneficial microorganisms and kill the pathogenic bacteria in the soil.
• Recycle kitchen scraps and newspapers, reducing landfill waste.
• Create a great classroom project!
How does it work?
• Earthworms eat ½ their body weight each day so one pound of earthworms (800 ‐ 1000 worms) can eat ½
pound of kitchen scraps/paper each day.
• As the ingested material moves through the earthworm digestive tract, nutrients and beneficial microorgan‐isms
are added so the final product (worm poop or “castings”) is much better for plants than ordinary soil.
What materials do I need to set up a vermicomposting bin?
• One 20‐30 gallon plastic containers (not clear) with lids, 10”‐12” deep.
• Drill with ¼” bit.
• Bedding: Shredded newspaper (no slick pages), crushed leaves, garden soil (a couple of hand fulls), water.
(Note: The worms will eat the bedding as well as food you add.)
• Earthworms – need to be “red wrigglers” (Available at bait stores or can be ordered)
• Adequate location: Fairly dark and quiet, 40º‐80º F (indoors in Louisiana), away from strong vibrations.
Building the bin:
• Drill about 20 evenly spaced holes in the bottom of the container for drainage.
• Drill holes in the lid of the container for air.
• Put bedding and garden soil in the container up to about 10” and moisten thoroughly with water. (Do this out‐side
and let the excess water drain out the bottom before adding the worms.)
• Add worms and cover with lid.
• If the bin is to be kept inside, you will need a second container to catch any drainage from the bin. Place bricks
in second container. Place bin with worms and bedding on top of the bricks.
• Do not feed or disturb worms for 2‐3 days so they can get established.
How and what do I feed them?
• Feed your worms by digging a shallow hole, putting in scraps, and covering with bedding.
• Fruit and vegetable scraps (stay away from citrus and onions)
• Coffee grounds with filter
• Tea bags (remove the staple)
• Crushed egg shells (cooked only)
• Do not feed meat, dairy products, or oily foods.
When and how do I harvest the vermicompost?
• Depending on how many worms you have, it will take 3 – 5 months to complete the compost. When you look in
the bin, there will be no recognizable pieces of newspaper or other bedding.
• Move bedding with worms to one end of the bin. Add fresh bedding to the other end and feed worms in fresh
bedding. After a couple of weeks most of the worms will have moved to the fresh bedding in search of food.
Remove the used bedding (vermicompost) and add to your potted plants or garden.
Grace Peterson, PhD
Watch your plants grow!
This material was funded by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP provides nutrition
assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact
1‐888‐LA HELPU. This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
Page 5 Veggie Bytes

6. A+
TASTE TEST SOIL TEST
R E C I P E
What Child hasn't eaten a little dirt? It's just part of
growing up. Here we've provided a tastier, healthier
option of eating dirt than what's lying on the play‐ground!
Prepare with your class and enjoy the sweet
taste of gardening!
What You’ll Need:
◊ 2 (20 ounce) packages of Oreo cookies (or other
brand)… chocolate with crème filling.
◊ ½ stick of butter softened
◊ 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
◊ 1 cup of powder sugar
◊ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
◊ 2 (3.9 ounce) packages of instant chocolate pud‐ding
mix
◊ 3 cups of milk
◊ 1 (12 ounce) container whip cream
◊ Enough gummi worms for each students to have
two or three is his or her cup
◊ Small disposable clear party cups.
Putting It Together….
1. Place the cookies in a food processor and blend
until they become fine crumbs.
2. Mix the butter, cream cheese, powder sugar and
vanilla in a large bowl. Beat on low speed to mix
then beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the
chocolate pudding mix and milk. Combine ingredi‐ents
by beating on low speed.
3. Fold the whip crème into the pudding mixture with
a rubber spatula.
4. Assemble ingredients in small clear party cups in
layers: first layer, 1/3 cookie crumbs; second layer,
1/2 pudding mixture; third layer, 1/3 cookie
crumbs; fifth layer, 1/3 cookie crumbs.
5. 5. Tuck the gummy worms in the "dirt" cup. Chill
for at least 3 hours before serving.
Kathryn “KiKi” Fontenot, Ph.D.
Visit our website: www.LSUAgCenter.com
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
William B. Richardson, Chancellor
Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station
John S. Russin, Interim Vice Chancellor and Director
Louisiana Cooperative Extension Service
Paul D. Coreil, Vice Chancellor and Director
The LSU AgCenter is a statewide campus of the LSU System and
provides equal opportunities in programs and employment.
Don’t guess, soil test!
1. Divide into areas for sampling on
basis of slope, type of plants
grown, etc.
2. Sample to depth of 3" to 6" for
cultivated Beds, garden rows or
turf.
3. Take soil from at least 10 places
in each area to obtain a repre‐sentative
sample.
4. Mix soil thoroughly.
5 5. Remove one pint for laboratory
sample. Label with identification
number on supplied sample bags.
6.Fill out sample submitting form with
cash, check or Visa Number and place it
in the box.
Food for Thought ….Cont. from page 1
The Ponchatoula High FFA team was awarded the
National FFA Living to Serve Grant and were also
awarded a Brown Foundation Grant that provided the
students with funds to conduct Ag literacy outreach at
a local elementary school by teaching better nutrition
through literature. Ponchatoula High students also
constructed a beautiful garden at the elementary
school. “WE want to educate people about the dietary
benefits of fresh produce, and, at the same time, to
help with the obesity epidemic in Louisiana”.
The ‘Food for Thought’ dinner will be held at the Le
Fleur de Lis Restaurant in Ponchatoula, LA on February
24, 2012. Tickets are $100.00 per person or $75.00 per
person with a table of 8 or more. Ten per cent of the
proceeds will go to Our Daily Bread Food Bank and the
rest of the money earned will go back to the Agri sci‐ence
department to conduct additional service learning
projects.
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