Spending summer with Serviam's Scholars and families
Laffey-McHugh Foundation funds summer program
Surprisingly to many people, the summer is supposed to be downtime for HFHK staff to clean up any outstanding items from the spring growing season and prepare for the fall. That was not the case this summer! Instead, it was full of learning, partnerships, and exploration thanks to the Laffey-McHugh Foundation and Serviam Girls Academy (2017).
In May 2022, HFHK was awarded a grant through Laffey-McHugh to pilot a summer garden and speaker series. On the final day of school, both students and their families joined HFHK in the garden to plant summer crops such as tomatoes, beans, squash, hot and sweet peppers, cucumbers and various herbs. Drip irrigation kept the plants growing until the scholars returned for their 4-week summer program. Each week the students were treated with a guest speaker and a snack from the garden.
Week 1: Dr. Toyo Ajayi, FMC Corporation, spoke on the various pests and diseases that the plants face, from sucking and piercing insects to mildew and blight. The students caught insects in the garden and determined whether they were friend or foe. They also harvested squash, which HFHK Executive Director Lydia Sarson turned into Squash & Honey Muffins for the scholars to enjoy the following week.
Week 2: Pollinator expert and HFHK Board Member Dr. Thalia Pappas brought various honeys, honey sticks, and honey comb for the students to observe and taste. Later they went out to the garden to observe different pollinators and their roles within our food system. The scholars enjoyed learning how the 'Queen Bee' took command of her hive, but all agreed she produces way too many children (1,000-1,500 eggs per day!).
Week 3: Dr. Melvina Brown, founder and owner of InnerSource Wellness Center, brought her urban regenerative farm to the school. Grape vine, honeysuckle, lavender, chives, tree collards, echinacea, wineberry, and sage were just a few of the samples Dr. Brown brought to show the students. They learned about annuals vs. perennials and about the healing properties of many herbs and shrubs. Students harvested basil from the garden and made their own Caprese bites, while sampling elderberry tea.
During week three, the students also harvested cucumbers, which Sarson took home for a quick pickling. Students enjoyed many helpings of regular dill pickles, as well as spicy zucchini spears and Middle Eastern pickled turnips!
Week 4: Dietitians from Nemours Children's Health, Ashley Haller and Kim Cramer, discussed with the scholars the importance of "eating the rainbow but not the Skittles kind!" They made quick refrigerator pickles. After the morning lessons, families were invited back for the final harvest where 213 lbs of produce was harvested and distributed to the scholars, their families and Serviam staff. Another 7 bushels of produce was supplemented from Penn Farm and Sprouts to ensure fair take-home distribution for all participants.
Thank you to Serviam, Laffey-McHugh, our speakers and the scholars for a successful summer!
