Kids Get More Gardening at South Avenue Elementary with New Fence

Really, it's just so cool. When you think about public schooling, the first things that may come to mind are red tape, dysfunction, and Common Core confusion, thanks to repeated news coverage on those dramatic topics. But what is really happening inside of a lot of public schools are programs and initiatives that people have started, that get past that red tape, to work with whatever state and federal regulations that exist for the moment. Like the gardening program run by Hudson Valley Seed at each of the four elementary schools in Beacon, three elementary schools in Newburgh, and one elementary school in Garrison. This week at South Avenue Elementary School in Beacon, Hudson Valley Seed expanded the garden to add a gathering space for classes in the garden, a pollinator patch with flowers, and more growing space for vegetables. All of this with the help of a team from United Way. And you won't believe what kids get to do during their school days with this garden, which is explored in this article, in pictures!

Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Seed

About the Gardening Program for Beacon's Elementary Schools

Hudson Valley Seed educates children using school gardens, empowering students through curriculum-integrated lessons focused on healthy eating, food literacy, outdoor learning, and academic success.

Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Seed

Elementary schools in Beacon go from Pre-K to 6th Grade. In Hudson Valley Seed's program, 1st and 2nd Graders get weekly garden time, out in the garden during Spring and Fall, and in the classroom in Winter. Kindergarten, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades also visit the garden and get indoor garden time three to six times throughout the school year.  During garden time, kids taste and learn about the vegetable of the month, and the cafeteria serves it a few different ways throughout the month. The month culminates with a school-wide taste-test in the cafeteria, which allows students to vote on whether they like the dish or not. Parents are even sent home a recipe to try in their own kitchens. In March for St. Paddy's Day, parents got a flyer with a recipe for cabbage soup.

Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Seed

Vegetables grown in the gardens outside of the schools are woven into classroom curriculum. Like this worksheet, showing a monster vegetable made up of a tomato, turnip, cabbage, squash, kale, and string beans. Kids can name the creature and define its personality.

Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Seed

The New Garden at South Avenue Elementary School

At the beginning of Spring, after school each day for about a week, work began on the expanded garden. First was the delivery of mulch.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Next was plotting out the new beds and area for the fencing. Just days before, the new fence posts were in the bed of a parked truck of a Hudson Valley Seeder, and were stolen. A plea for help went out on a Facebook group that many in the Beacon community belong to, and after several people offered to donate to replace the fence posts, the stolen posts mysteriously reappeared. #soweirdbutgreat

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Little did that thief know that a huge group of volunteers from the United Way and the local community was scheduled to come to install the fence posts. Thanks to the thief's change of heart, a lot of work commenced and the fencing was finished in a day. It was beginning to feel like a story pulled from the pages of a Nancy Drew Mystery.

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Voila! New fencing is up, and the new garden is ready for adventures, imaginations and learning!

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Seed

To see all of the gardens at Beacon's elementary schools, visit Hudson Valley Seed's website. There are volunteer opportunities that you can sign up for to water the gardens, and other ways to get involved.

Rain, Rain, Come Again...Beacon's Drought Makes Brown Lawns En Vogue

Those who may have lamented the constant downpours and repeat rainy days in June, which put a slight dent in the kickoff of summertime pool and waterpark memberships, may be wishing for those rainy days to be back. The rain in July only yielded 1 inch of rain, according to an article published this week by Brian PJ Cronin in the Philipstown Paper, and April was a light month for rain.

On one of his famous hikes, Brian hiked up Mount Beacon to take pictures of the Beacon Reservoir to reveal the mud that is baking in the sun, which is usually covered by water. The Beacon Reservoir is about to hit 60%, according to weekly measuring and reporting by Beacon's Water and Sewer Department.

Therefore, a Stage 1 Drought Alert has been issued for Beacon with the following voluntary recommendations:

• Using a car wash to wash your car, not washing it with a hose.
• Refrain from watering your lawn; lawns will go dormant if not watered and return when moisture returns.
• Refrain from washing streets, sidewalks, driveways or exteriors of structures with a hose.
• Fix leaks.

Water usage makes a big difference to the Reservoir. As Brian pointed out in his article when he brought up the last time a Stage 1 Drought Alert was issued in November 2013 during an Indian summer, that the Reservoir rapidly recovered after "temperatures dipped, snow fell, and outside water use dropped dramatically."

So here's what you can do to preserve the green in your yard and keep water in the Reservoir:

• Keep the weeds for a bit. There is a strip of bright green in our yard...why? It's weeds! We never seeded the area after digging around it to widen the driveway. So hey crabgrass that just won't die - you have a purpose for the moment of making our yard look good.
• Brown lawns are cool. It's un-cool at this point to water your lawn. So just go with the new, sandier shade of lawn!
• Hay mulch the garden. Naysayers of the hay mulching method may want to change their minds and accept the very few sprouts of new hay that pop up through dried hay, and just lay the hay down thick. This hay mulched garden has only been watered twice all season with a watering can.

This hay mulched garden has been watered 2x with a watering can all season. If we have no grass, we at least have giant butternut squash leaves.

Hello little baby butternut squash! And hello healthy weed that needs to be covered in more hay mulch.

Basil That Went to Seed, Went to the Bees for Basil Honey!

Normally when my basil or cilantro bolts and goes to seed, I feel like I did not use it enough. By not pruning it by clipping stems to use in a summer gazpacho or pesto, I wasted it. Not so, thinks this honey bee, who found the white flower sprouting from the basil and took its nectar. Longtime bee enthusiasts may not be surprised by this source of food for the honeybee, but this new gardener had not considered a bolted herb to be such a treat.

A backyard honey bee pursuing the flower from basil.

Throughout our backyard are butterfly bushes and other flowering bushes that we planted there purposefully to feed the bees. Recently we decided to not poison the clover and to let bees take from the clover, thereby risking our bare feet in the grass!

Curious about honey basil, however, I sent over a note to Deb Davidovits, the beekeeper and founder of Beacon Bee. You have seen her lip balm, honey and other bee based products in stores like Beacon Natural Market or at events like the Beacon Jazz Festival, which is where I spotted her. It was at the Beacon Jazz Festival that I learned of her honey that was flavored by the black locust trees in the spring, so I asked her about basil honey. She had tasted thyme honey, which she said was delicious, and lavender honey, but not basil honey.

Deborah Davidovits, founder of Beacon Bee at her stand at Beacon Jazz Fest.

Is basil honey possible? Says Deb: "If a beekeeper places hives in the middle of a field of apple trees, where there is nothing but apple trees for acres in any direction, and the apples are known to be blooming while the bees are there, it will for sure be apple blossom honey."

I felt very lucky to have seen this bee at my basil, because I will never clip that flower again so that the honey bees can use it. And then Deb described this feeling perfectly as she reflected about being a beekeeper: "Part of what I love about being a beekeeper is how much I am learning about seasonal changes, effects of the weather, what plants are around me and when they bloom, etc.  In general, becoming more aware of the natural world and how magnificent it is!" Deb has an insightful blog in which she explores what it means to be a beekeeper, and shares some amazing photos, like how to wear bees - in your beard!

Secret Gardener Vicki Raabin's Streetscape Project

What's being said more and more about Beacon NY is that the citizens are making it great. While that's a pretty good political slogan, it's ringing true. As one walks by the pleasantries and stops to smell the roses, one may notice they are admiring sunflowers, lavender, basil and other herbs in addition to the potted and hanging floral arrangements that adorn Main Street. What you are witnessing is an "urban streetscape project" by one of Main Street's most known citizens, Miss Vicki Raabin. She is one of several, independently driven, "secret gardeners" that keep the streets looking nice.

Several garden plots started and maintained by Miss Vicki Raabin outside of stores including Play, Towne Crier, The Pandorica, and across the street from Poppy's next to Beacon Bread Company.

In May of 2014, Miss Vicki, most commonly known as the local music teacher and music venue organizer, decided to put some action to her critical thoughts as she walked Main Street and grew dissatisfied with the sidewalk trees. "I got tired of seeing all of the gravel around the trees. My feeling is, if you're complaining about something, you need to step up and do something about it. It bothered me and I felt we could do better." 

Miss Vicki Raabin feeding and watering her plants in her urban streetscape project along Main Street.

Raabin started the project a few years ago with small tulip beds. But this year, she committed to herself to "take over small spaces and make them viable again." Working closely with several local businesses on Main Street, Raabin has received strong support from a growing number of storefronts with beds near their buildings, including Tito Santana Taqueria, Towne Crier, Bank Square, Mountain Tops, Beacon Bread Company, and Key Food.

Donations from the businesses have come in an unusual form: egg shells and water from Towne Cryer; coffee grounds from Bank Square and Beacon Bread Company; bags of mulch from Key Foods, more water from Kamel Jamel, owner of Tito's who fostered a partnership with Green Teen by way of putting in the Common Greens Garden at Tito Santana which has a water collection system. Local residents have given Raabin shubbery when splitting plants in their own gardens which is helpful for acquiring butterfly bushes, creeping thyme, lavender and maybe hostas for next year.

One of many planters designed and maintained by the Tioronda Garden Club.

Miss Vicki isn't the only one making Main Street beautiful. The potted plants you walk past at major street corners, and all of the hanging petunia baskets are put together by the Tioronda Garden Club, which fundraises for its yearly budget with individual donations and events, like a Wine and Cheese night. In fact, the Tioronda Garden Club gave Raabin some of their flox to act as ground cover for tree plots, as flox is a hearty plant that spreads easily over the years and looks beautiful with masonry.

Hanging baskets on Main Street are put together by the Tioronda Garden Club and watered by Mayor Casale.

As for the watering of all of these flowers and plantings, you'll see Miss Vicki pulling her red wagon from the Visitor's Center at beginning of Main Street all the way to Towne Crier where she gets another water fill and picks up egg shells to be used as plant food. But who waters those hanging baskets? Years ago, the hanging plants were on the chopping block down at 1 Municipal Plaza during Mayor Gold's tenure. Then council member, Randy Casale volunteered to do the watering, since the Tioronda Garden Club supplied the hanging baskets through their fundraising efforts. He woke up to drive the cherry picker truck in the early mornings when it was still dark. 

As for now Mayor Casale, he still wakes up early to water.  "I do it because it I believe the beautiful flowers that are put together by the hard work of all the volunteers of the Tioronda Garden Club makes our Main Street vibrant and attractive. This is also a way for me to mentally relax. I would like to thank all our volunteers who help to keep our city the city that it is."

Gardening certainly is relaxing. And right now, it's helping Beacon to stay original and special as a train town along the beautiful Hudson River. Secret gardening is offering ways for citizens to dig in, literally into the earth of Beacon to keep it vibrant and ever-changing.

Summer Wine Picks from Artisan Wine Shop

Summer and wine...such a happy combination. Of course your inspiration for different wines will come from different places, so we talked to Tim and Mei at Artisan Wine Shop for their recommendations on the perfect red, white or rosés wines for summer occasions available in their wine shop right now. Keep in mind, Tim recommends that most red wines should be served chilled in the summer. About 30-45 minutes in the 'fridge should do it...

GARDENING

You've been gardening, pulling weeds, harvesting beans, transplanting hostas, building decorative walls, and you're ready for a glass of wine. You're hot and tired, but you feel great after all of that physical work that looks so rewarding. What wine should you pair with your mood?

WHITE
Arca Nova is a Vinho Verde that is a refreshing white with a lightly bubbly effervescence to keep the taste fresh and you cooled off. It's a white wine from northern Portugal made from light, crisp grapes that are green and lush.

RED
The red Gamay from Domaine Les Hautes Noelles should be chilled and is a 'vin de la soif' (a wine for thirsty people) pulling in a cherry flavor that is low in alcohol.

PICNICS IN THE PARK

You're heading to Riverfront Park for a picnic, music festival, or a stroll down Long Dock, or are having an Alice in Wonderland type picnic in the pruned shrubbery at Dia (get some cheese from Homespun's Dia location), you'll want a wine that will match the early night breeze.

WHITE
You'll enjoy the Schlossmuhlenhof, a Riesling, but not just any Riesling...a dry Riesling Trocken that is native to the Germans who make and drink it. According to Tim, the Germans don't drink any other type of Riesling, certainly not ones that are sweet, which can be considered the norm by Americans. It's lower in alcohol, crisp, clean and good with food.

RED
The Fuori Off Road Strada, a liter of Tuscan red wine in a box.  Packs well in a sack, and you'll get more wine with less packaging! Put this organic boxed wine on ice. It's a Chianti, but not officially classified as such, being that it's in a box. It's light and crisp with some structure and dryness from the tannin. It will have dryness on the finish and is good with food.

BBQs & BACKYARD GRILL OUTS

You're going to a friend's BBQ or backyard grill, and everyone is bringing their craft beers and growlers from The Hop, but you want to bring wine.

WHITE
The Effet Papillon is a Cotos du Roussillon blanc from the southern part of France. It's wrought with soft texture and stands up to the weight of grilled chicken, fish and vegetables. The Effet Papillon picks up flavors well to enhance your meal.

RED
La Flor is a Malbec that is full of flavor. It handles heavy foods like meat well, but could be drunk by itself. This red wine is tangy in nature, and works well with BBQ sauce.

TIM'S FAVORITE ROSÉS FOR SUMMER

Tim was especially excited to share his favorite bottles of rosés. The Lieu-dit Cocagne Coteaux du Vendomois and Pigoudet Premiére. The Coteaux du Vendomois is dry and savory with no sweetness, and is best 15 minutes after opening. The Pigoudet is made from a blend of grapes and is more fruity because of the warmth of the region.

WINE CUPS FOR THE OUTDOORS!

And of course, you must have the proper glass! If you are on a picnic, traveling or just want to drink from a sturdy cup outside, the govino wine glass is shatterproof, reusable, disposable and available locally at Utensil. So fit in the trip from one end of town to the other when you are headed to your event and are picking up wine on your way! And don't forget, if you need a quick apple pie, there are usually mini apple and cherry pies ready at BJ's. 

All of these wines are available in the Artisan Wine Shop, so print out this guide or mention the Summer Wine Pick Guide on A Little Beacon Blog for some guided direction on picking your wines!

Planting Herbs Despite April's Winter Snow Day

In my new pursuit of meal planning for the week, I'm hitting up Key Foods more often (thought I love Hannaford on Rt. 9 the most for the low prices and great shopping experience), accenting with a little Beacon Pantry or the Beacon Natural Market when I need special things. Today at Key Food, a fresh delivery of bright tulips and herbs had arrived! Normally I get herbs from Adams or Sunny Gardens, but ran out if time last weekend. And at $2.99 for each potted herb, and $5.99 for tulips, I could not resist! I snagged the tulips for a baby present and a housewarming gift, and picked up a planted basil, cilantro, parsley and dill. My only hope is that I can grow these herbs inside. I'll move them out to that empty, official herb garden plot that you see here in the back of this picture.

Spring or bust!

It's Time: Planting the Garden with Help from Ruth Stout

It's here! My hyacinths started coming up before the 3 feet snow plop in March (after the one in February), that snowed us all in for...um, all winter. Layers of snow ice sat on top of the eager bulbs for weeks, but it didn't matter. The snow has finally melted and the tulips are pushing through.

In the stores, like at Lowe's and Home Depot and our neighborhood greenhouse Sunny Garden Greenhouse on Rt 9D, the vegi seeds are stocked! This is the year where I pay attention to my mulch, and finish the book one of my neighbors lent to me, Ruth Stout's The No Work Garden. Before reading the book, I'd noticed that the soil under the rotted leaves in the very back of my yard was luxurious. It was so rich. So last Fall, I spread all of our leaves on our garden plot before the snow came.

Last year's garden became too much to weed. But Ruth Stout's method really did put an end to my weeding last year when I finally got a bushel of hay and lay it down. Not only that, but when my friend nestled his compost and hay around my forever-wilting basil, I never watered it again. And it grew 3x in size.

So, I'm excited. Are you? What are you doing different this year?