2022 Webinar Series
The NH Farm to School and the NH School & Youth Garden networks hosted a series of nine webinars in 2022 for teachers, schools, and educators from across New England that covered a variety of farm to school and school garden topics. Browse the recordings below to learn about Indigenous farm to school curriculum in New Hampshire, establishing a school garden, creating a composting program at your school, and more!
Did you participate in one or more webinars? Download our Certificate of Completion here >>
Farm to School 101 | WATCH RECORDING HERE >>
Stacey Purslow, the Program Coordinator for NH Farm to School, will kick off the 2022 Webinar Series with the basics: reviewing what farm to school is, how to connect the classroom to the cafeteria, and foster community connections through farm to school programming. She will provide useful anecdotes, resources, and examples from the NH Farm to School program’s development process, as well as other successful farm to school programs in schools and communities across the state. The session will end with an overview of the webinars coming up later in the series.
Cultivating Roots: Basic Classroom Hydroponics | WATCH RECORDING HERE >>
Bring the garden into your classroom, even in the winter with hydroponics! Join 4-H Field Specialist, Michelle Bersaw-Robblee, and 6th grade Special Education Educator, Kristen Bean Warren, to hear how they partnered to bring hydroponics into the classroom for a hands-on interactive experience for students. Workshop topics will include individual student lessons to larger classroom set-ups.
Farm to School in New Hampshire | WATCH RECORDING HERE >>
Moderated by Stacey Purslow of NH Farm to School, representatives from the Nashua, Manchester, Somersworth, and North Country will gather to provide updates, resources, and more from their respective farm to school programs. This webinar will be a presentation of a recorded session from NOFA-NH’s Winter Conference.
Garden and Classroom Connections | WATCH RECORDING HERE >>
Join NH Agriculture in the Classroom’s, Debbi Cox, and the Cornucopia Project’s, Jess Gerrior and Olivia Clark, to discover lessons and activities that connect the classroom to the garden. Science, math, social studies, language arts and other academic areas can all be explored through the lens of gardening. Cox and Gerrior will guide attendees through a variety of online sources for classroom materials and demonstrate an activity live.
School Food and Local Food Procurement | WATCH RECORDING HERE >>
Join a panel of representatives from the NH Food Hub Network, NH Farm to School, and NH Hunger Solutions to understand and network around policy and programs related to school food and local food procurement, including the National School Lunch Program and the Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Bill. The session will be moderated by Stacey Purslow of NH Farm to School, who will tie the panelists’ knowledge to the overall mission of NH Farm to School.
Seed Saving and School Gardens | WATCH RECORDING HERE >>
Join Erik Wochholz the Curator of Historic Landscapes at Strawberry Banke Museum and Neil Lash of the Heirloom Seed Project at Medomak High School in Maine to learn about how to incorporate seed saving into school garden projects and curriculum.
School Composting: The Basics and What to Consider | WATCH RECORDING HERE >>
Are you interested in composting at your school, but not sure where to start? Paige Wilson, Lakes Region Planning Commission, and Gabriel Roberts, Garden Coordinator at the Brett School in Tamworth, will cover the basics of how to compost at your school and what to consider when building your site, regarding equipment needs, and community support. Presenters will review case study examples to help spark inspiration when developing your school’s composting program! The webinar will specifically highlight the successes and challenges of Tamworth’s Brett School composting site, which has been integrated in the school for over 10 years. Additional resources (i.e. – ‘How to Guides,’ tips for troubleshooting, grant info) will be provided to reference after the webinar.
Troubleshooting Challenges of School Gardens | WATCH RECORDING HERE >>
Do you have a school garden and are challenged by how to use it, how to engage students, what to plant, how to integrate the garden into your curriculum or what to do about garden pests? Or are you thinking about starting a school garden but don’t know how to put your ideas into action?
Join Ted Kendziora, School Garden Grant Coordinator with US Fish & Wildlife Service and Ruth Smith, Master Gardener Program Manager with UNH Extension, who will lead a discussion about overcoming school garden obstacles, how to plan for success and turn challenges into opportunities.
Bring your ideas and questions. Suggestions and resources from Ted and Ruth as well as from other participants are sure to inspire you for a new gardening season.
Indigenizing Your Curriculum | WATCH RECORDING HERE >>
Working alongside NH Farm to School, the Indigenous New Hampshire Collaborative Collective and the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki People have created a multitude of educational resources, including the Indigenous NH Harvest Calendar and corresponding curriculum, the 13 Moons Unit: Lesson Plans, the Teaching N’Dakinna curriculum guide, and more. Join this webinar to learn more about utilizing these educational resources and network about other ways to incorporate Indigenous culture into farm to school programs across New Hampshire.