Clermont’s Horticultural Technician, Leslie Reed, is always “sprouting up” new ideas for the Harvesting History program! Check out our summer scrapbook below.
Operation Unite NY Freedom Farmers 4H Club
Congratulations to our Operation Unite New York (OUNY) Freedom Farmers 4H Club participants on their blue ribbons at the Columbia County Fair. One of our participants, Ummuy Chowdury, even won Best in Show!
Giving Back to Our Community
Throughout the summer, Harvesting History donated fresh produce regularly to the Germantown Food Pantry, the Hudson Community Fridge, the Catskill Community Fridge, and the Salvation Army Food Pantry in Hudson. This season, we harvested: a variety of peas and beans, garlic, lettuce, tatsoi, kohlrabi, Swiss chard, zucchini, cucumbers, squash blossoms, shishito peppers, French and Jamaican sorrel, potatoes, nasturtium leaves, an array of edible flowers, and a wide variety of herbs including cilantro, thyme, parsley, rosemary, lemon balm, flowering garlic chives (a local favorite!), basil, and spearmint. We even harvested our first crop of hazelnuts this summer!
None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Horticultural Technician Leslie Reed, Horticultural Assistant Bill Shilling, Friends of Clermont Advancement Manager Emily Meyer, and our Harvesting History volunteers, such as Tara Barrett, who work collaboratively in the garden on a weekly basis.
If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out a volunteer form.
What’s Next for Harvesting History?
We are excited to see what fall brings to the Harvesting History garden! Staff and volunteers are hard at work, planting seedlings for the fall harvest. We even have some squash and pumpkins on the way! We look forward to sharing the garden with a new generation of students this fall.
Are you a teacher looking to expand your students’ knowledge of seed science through hands-on experiences? Contact info@friendsofclermont.org to learn more!
Want to support Harvesting History?
When the Harvesting History program first began over a decade ago, it served 100 children. Today, it serves over 2,000 youth, seniors, and adults throughout Columbia and Greene counties. Consider donating to ensure that this wonderful program can continue to provide engaging educational programming for all ages, free of charge.
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