RSVP by tomorrow for Growing Generosity
Our new fundraising event this summer, Growing Generosity, is coming up quickly. Tickets are pre-sale only. There will only be a limited number of tickets available after tomorrow, July 12th. Thank you to all of our sponsors for making this event possible. We will be in the spirit of celebrating healthy food and nature for the benefit of local children. Fundraising events like this help us carry out our mission, and we want you all to be apart of it!
WHEN: Thursday, July 26
TIME: 6-9pm
WHERE: Myrick Park Center, 789 Myrick Park Dr, La Crosse, WI 54601
The evening will consist of a dinner buffet catered by The Damn Tasty offering herbed and garlic braised chicken, new potatoes with compound butter and fresh dill, and a roasted vegetable blend. For our vegetarian option, we will also be offering a roasted vegetable lasagna. There will be desserts from Opus Bakery and other local bakeries. Pearl Street Brewery beer and Elmaro Vineyard wines are available for purchase.
We are excited about all the great prizes we have to raffle off for the evening! There will be wingspan and silent auction raffles going on throughout the evening and a live auction as well.
Remember that this is a gala event, so feel free to dress it up and enjoy a night out without the children.
Growing in La Crescent
We are excited to announce another new garden currently being revamped at La Crescent-Hokah School Garden. The La Crescent garden was started in 2012, and the first growing season was 2013. Each year, the garden program grew either in size or in programming. By 2016, there were four 4′ x 8′ beds, two 4′ x 4′ beds, and a cement raised bed that provides an easier garden experience for our students who have mobility impairments. Students had various involvement with the garden, from planting seeds, transplanting plants to the garden, helping water, and harvesting veggies for our salad bar. Lessons and taste testing of veggies or recipes made with them also have been provided to most classes in grades K – 4. Children who attended the Kids Company camps in the summer also helped take care of the garden, sampled veggies at lunchtime, and several recipes such as green (spinach) smoothies, basil pesto pizza, pickles, and fresh salsa.
This summer, a new playground is being built on the former site of the garden, so La Crescent has partnered with GROW and is being moved to the front of the school. We are so thankful to Linda, our GROW Maintenance Director, our interns Marne and Tamara, and many volunteers for helping move the soil and setting up the garden in its new location last week!
Meet Susan
Susan Oddsen will be our new Program Director at La Crescent-Hokah Elementary School. She has a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a focus in Biology, and she works during the fall migration period as a naturalist for the Upper Mississippi River National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Susan helped start the La Crescent-Hokah School Garden, and has been the coordinator of the program for the past 5 years, with support from Beth Theede of Community Education, Maggie Smith of Farm2School of La Crosse County. Parents, students, and other community members have helped build the gardens, with the first two beds built in 2013. Susan saw this work as outreach from her role as Program Manager of the La Crescent Community Garden, and she recently became Program Manager of the La Crescent Food Shelf. She loves teaching children about nature, growing food, cooking, and tasting the harvest! She is very excited that the PTO and school are partnering with GROW, and that she can work with the students to make the school garden project even better. With her diverse and interesting background, we are very excited to have Susan on board!
Farm Camp Showcase
Wednesday, July 18 at 11 AM – 1 PM
Deep Roots Community Farm
W4406 County Road YY, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601
Share in this great experience by joining us for the farm camp showcase to see what children experience at our farm camps. We will talk about the programming and then have children showcase their experiences.
We will be outside, but there will be shade. If weather is unfavorable (rain or extreme heat (above 95), we will do it Thursday, July 19th at 10am).