Mabelvale Dinner in the Garden

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Mabelvale Garden Update »Mabelvale Garden Update This past week, Karl Heinbockel and fellow Delta Garden Study interns have had the opportunity to escape the fluorescent lights of the office and work in the bright sunshine at the Mabelvale Magnet Middle School gardens and greenhouse. In spite of the oppressive heat, there is still much to do to prepare for the coming school year at Mabelvale Magnet Middle School. We are removing the residue from last year's crops (and weeds!) and replacing them with a buckwheat cover crop to revitalize the soil. The buckwheat cover crop suppresses weed growth and once tilled in will add important organic material back into the soil. This allows new plants the ample nutrients necessary to blossom with great vigor. Healthy soil has been our focus this summer. In the fall, we will concentrate our efforts at producing a variety of food crops with the help of our students at Mabelvale! In the coming weeks, we will be continuing to clean up and organize the garden and greenhouse spaces so that this school year will be a great one for Delta Garden Study's showcase garden - Mabelvale!

FrontPage Article »See the Progress on our New Gardens! Don't forget to visit our Garden Schools’ webpages for pictures and stories about the progress of our new gardens. Liana, Kevin, Ryan and Cale have been busy developing their sites, planting a late summer garden, and getting to know their communities. Many thanks to all of their community members who have donated materials, equipment and labor!

About The Delta Garden Study »About The Delta Garden Study The Delta Garden Study is a $2 million research study funded by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service designed to prevent childhood obesity and social risk behaviors, and improve academic achievement, in middle school children in the Delta and Central regions of Arkansas.

Four-Star Dining in the Garden

During the Delta Obesity Prevention Research Unit (Delta OPRU) Annual Meeting held in Little Rock, August 4-6, 2010, Dr. Judy Weber and her Delta Garden Study team hosted “Dinner in the Garden” at their premiere garden at Mabelvale Magnet Middle School. Among the 40 guests were First Lady Ginger Beebe, The Biggest Loser’s Jaron Tate, Mablevale Middle School administrators, USDA officials from the National Program office in Washington, DC and USDA Agricultural Research Service Area Directors from the Southern Plains and Mid-South Areas. Though the heat index was well above 100 degrees on the early August day, a rain shower cooled the air for a perfect evening. Guests first toured the study garden and greenhouse at Mabelvale. Dinner was prepared by the staff of Forty Two from the Clinton Presidential Center and served under air-conditioned tents in the Mabelvale garden. The meal featured produce from the Mabelvale garden and partner school, Dunbar Middle School garden. Watermelon and peach teas were featured as well.