Beardsley Library
For the fourth summer in a row, NWCD expanded our programming at the Beardsley and Memorial Library in Winchester. The goals of this programming are to increase access to locally grown produce while expanding agricultural education at the local level.
We continued our Community Garden Program where each week in the summer NWCD held an hour long program for kids and an hour long program for teens. Students harvested hand-grown produce from the community garden and learned about a variety of environmental and agricultural topics. Thanks to funding from the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation, we were again able to provide 50 at-home container garden kits. Each kit included a trowel, watering can, bottle of fertilizer, gardening gloves, 12-inch pot, and 4 plants. Participants were able to practice at home what they learned at the library.
NCCF also funded a small permanent pollinator garden next our summer community garden. The teens helped plant and weed the garden, and we were on the look out for new exciting pollinator friends every week – look below for an example! We hope to add to this garden each year.
Lastly, we were also able to expand the program
to include container garden programming for adults. We gave out take home kits and NWCD treasurer, Doreen Lynch-Sudol, held three cooking classes that highlighted skills that paired with the garden vegetables. This new series called “From Garden to Table with Doreen” encourages participants to look to their own backyard for ingredients. Doreen also held one of our weekly programs with the Teens!
The Beardsley program was made possible thanks
to funding from the Northwest CT Community Foundation Elson-Slemmer Fund for the Environment. We would also like to thank librarians Carol Parent, Emily Young, and Karley Padin, for their partnership. And thank you to all of our participants this year – your dedication and enthusiasm were contagious!
New Milford Library
For the second year, NWCD held an agricultural education summer program at the New Milford Public Library (NMPL)! Held over six weeks, the weekly program taught children how to grow food and about their connection to the natural world. We handed out 25 at-home garden kits to participating families during the first week. After that, each week focused on different hands-on environmental experiences from watershed and run-off simulators, pollinator games and more – and would conclude with a snack from a local farm such as cucumbers, corn or cherry tomatoes. The program finished off with a book gifted to participants, encapsulating the summer program. The book was donated by the Friends of NMPL.
The NMPL program was made possible thanks to funding from the Environmental Professionals Organization of Connecticut. We would also like to thank Sue Ford, Children’s Services Librarian.