As winter continues to roll along, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle is eagerly awaiting the start of spring. The new season will not only bring warmer weather, but the return of in-person Seed to Supper classes, starting April 2 and reoccurring every Saturday from 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm for the next six weeks. These classes will be held at both Camden Street Learning Garden in Raleigh, as well as in Durham at Geer Street Learning Garden.
The popular six-week course will highlight everything needed to start and sustain your garden. Each participant receives supplies comprised of plants, seeds, hand tools, and more. Every session is packed with information that will prepare you for the Spring and seasons beyond. Since 2015, the Food Shuttle has hosted these classes but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unable to offer in person classes following safety protocols. During that time, the Seed to Supper course has been made available as an online resource on the Food Shuttle YouTube Channel.
We are ready to return to the garden with social distancing in place this spring. Thanks to Oregon Food Bank and Oregon State University Extension Services for creating this opportunity. Email Laura Maule for questions and to sign up for the Raleigh class, or Mikey Cristiano for the Durham class.
For those who have already begun their gardening career or are simply looking to start in a small way, we are providing Grow Kits that enable you to explore the joys of gardening right from your windowsill. DINE, Farmer Foodshare, the DPS Hub Farm, and Durham Cooperative Extension have worked together to create an experience with new users in mind, creating kits in a way that anyone can use them. They consist of microgreens and herbs, a great starting platform for beginner gardeners. In each kit, you will receive compost, one type of seeds, detailed instructions, a guide on using found materials to upcycle a container, ChopChop Magazine and/or NC Farm to School Coalition’s crop storybooks. Each kit is biodegradable and environmentally friendly, even recyclable as a planter. Grow Kits are available on a request-only basis. If you would like to register a request for your own kit, please contact Ayn Corrigan. Volunteer opportunities to help pack the kits are coming up soon in Raleigh and Durham. You can follow and “favorite” our "Growing School Gardens" volunteer page to get the latest updates on all opportunities.
The Food Shuttle’s Agriculture Education program is built around teaching sustainable food production and promoting the establishments of gardens to increase healthy food access. That’s what Seed to Supper and Grow Kits are all about. Ayn Corrigan, Agriculture Education Manager puts it best: “We want to meet folks where they're at on their growing journey. From growing cilantro in the window to starting a home or community garden, we want to help you cultivate your green thumb.”