Day #1: The Brainstorming Begins

The Hood River Middle School community kitchen is complete!!  We broke in new space by preparing our snack of pizza (Double Mountain dough), sliced apples from Hood River Organics, and Ryan's Juice.

A perfect April day to begin the Gorge Grown Kids: "From the Ground Up" program.  Todd, from Gorge Grown Food Network, welcomed HRMS and Wy'East students to the program by connecting local food production to students lives.  He began by asking everyone who knew where their breakfast was grown to raise their hands.  Then had us keep hands raised if our breakfast was from the Columbia River Gorge.  Finally, he challenged us to name the farmer who grew/produced our breakfast.  A few of us ate homegrown eggs and/or local apples today.  

Michelle, also from Gorge Grown Food Network, further kindled our curiosity with a game comparing plants that can and can't be grown in the local climate.

 

In the garden, we began brainstorming our welded sprinklers and other garden projects.  MacRae, our metal artist, was amazed by our participants.  Every idea he discussed was quickly elevated by our incredibly creative middle school  participants. Here we go!