Along with everything else this fall, we have also put our garden “to bed”.  April, our Nature Educator, provided some tips to store your green garden tomatoes so you can have fresh tomatoes into winter!

Supplies: Tomatoes, newspaper, box (or paper bag), a cool and dry place for storage

1.  Pick all of the green tomatoes (the ones that haven’t been hit by frost)

• You can make this into a game for the kids.  They don’t have to worry about if the tomato is ripe or not.  They just pick as many as they can

2.  Use newspaper to wrap the green tomatoes.  Wrap big tomatoes by themselves; smaller ones can be wrapped together.

3.  Place wrapped tomatoes in a box or paper bag.

4.  Store box or paper bag in a cool, dry place.  The basement is a great place.

5.  Check the tomatoes 2-3 times a week for ripe tomatoes. Just unwrap to see the color.

Saturday, September 4 from 1 pm – 3 pm!

We will be sure to post their recipe after this Saturday so everyone can make their own tasty salsa.

Darren Bagley, a 4-H Youth Development Educator from MSU-Extension, came to the museum yesterday with loads of bugs and creatures from the local river and water sources. He has been a guest educator at the museum many times, and we lovingly nicknamed him Darren BUG-ley for the day.  Darren spent the day in Sproutside, interacting with museum visitors and teaching them about the critters.

Even museum staff learned new things! Below is a water scorpion.

From Edible Flint:

Genesee County residents are improving their health, reducing their weekly grocery bill and transforming their neighborhoods by creating urban gardens in both their own yards and on neighboring vacant lots.

The movement to utilize urban properties to produce food is growing nationally, and Genesee County is right in step. The second annual “Edible Flint Food Garden Tour” Thursday, August 12 will offer a close-up look at several of the innovative and inspiring food gardens developed in the Flint area.

Participants will be transported to the garden sites by bus. The tour is free and open to the public. Last year’s garden tour attracted more than 175 participants, so organizers of the tour added a second bus tour this year as well as a bicycle tour option.

Check-in and food for the tour will begin at 4:30 p.m. at the Flint Farmers’ Market, 420 East Boulevard Drive. Buses and bicycles will depart at 5:30 p.m. Everyone on the tour will be given a light meal made from locally-produced delicacies.

Tour participants will meet local food producers, including some who are growing food year round and raising bees and chickens. They will also see, firsthand, how local residents of all ages are transforming community concerns, such as vacant land, into valuable neighborhood assets.

Immediately following the tour, members of Edible Flint will host an after-glow with live music and dessert at the Flint Farmers’ Market.

The entire evening is free, though participants must register in advance. There will be plenty of opportunity for participants to talk with others on the tour and with local growers. Donations will be accepted and will be used to support food gardening efforts in Flint.

To register for the bus or bike tour, contact Natalie Pruett by August 9, 2010 by calling 810-257-3088 ext. 541 or by e-mail at npruett@co.genesee.mi.us.

Edible Flint members include Applewood Initiative for Garden and Community, the Genesee County Land Bank, Keep Genesee County Beautiful, Michigan State University Extension, Salem Housing Community Development Corporation, plus other organizations, local gardeners and independent producers who work together to provide support to those growing food.

Pole Bean Teepee – July 14 & August 3

Three Sisters – July 14 & August 3

August 3, 2010

Gardens – July 14 & August 6

And we have collected many vegetables! The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan stopped by yesterday to collect some of the vegetables we grew for their Plant A Row for the Hungry program. There is also a basket at the front desk with different vegetables that museum guests can take home!

We had four summer field trips and other families participate in the activity.  All of the children were pleased with the result of their hard work.  “It was DE-licious!” exclaimed a preschool student.  The activity requires basic materials and is something you can try at home.  We suggest outdoors.

What you need:

• Large coffee can
• Zipper bags (quart size will work)
• Half & Half
• Vanilla
• Sugar
• Rock salt
• Ice

Instructions

• Mix ingredients
  • Recipe:
    • 1 pint half & half
    • 1 1/2  teaspoons vanilla
    • 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
• Divide ingredients into 2 zipper bags
• Place zipper bags into large coffee can. Pack ice and rock salt around the bags. Close the lid on the can
• Roll the can around on the ground for about 10 minutes, then check ice cream
• When ice cream is frozen, serve in small bowls

The finished product!

We hope you enjoy!

Thanks to a grant funded by the Ruth Mott Foundation, the FCM was able to install a large shade pavilion, drinking fountain, and water spigot in Sproutside. There is another new feature coming soon…but we’re not going to tell you what it is just yet! The grant funding also allowed us to hire a Nature Educator and two Sproutside attendants that are dedicated to outdoor programming and special activities.

A major clean-up was held the second week of May to prepare the gardens and landscape.

May 20, 2010

Then, the planting began! There is quite a variety to the Sproutside gardens this year. We have a Sensory Garden which is in full bloom with flowers and plants that appeal to each of the 5 senses. There are the Three Sisters—corn, beans and summer squash. When the three sisters are grown together, their roots help nourish each other with nutrients. The Pizza Garden is a new addition; museum visitors painted stones to make up the crust and the plants are the “toppings”. Of course, the Stone Soup garden is back again. A sunflower house, pole bean teepee, and the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan’s “Plant a Row” are also included.

July 14, 2010

The Sproutside Summer Kickoff event was held June 12 to start the summer season activities. Since the season opening, Sproutside has been buzzing! Special activities have included: Bug Hunt, Bubble-ology, Fossil Find, Parachute Play, Eruption Day and more fun and messy programs.

Check out our website calendar for details on all of the Sproutside special programs. www.flintchildrensmuseum.org/calendar.cfm

We’re having a blast this summer season, stay tuned for more fun!