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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.

Community Partnerships

Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI)
Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention (ARCOP)
Arkansas Food Policy Council
Arkansas Local Foods Initiative (ALFI)
Arkansas Urban Garden Educational Resources, Inc (AUGER)
City of Little Rock
Dripping Springs Garden
Dunbar Community Garden
Felder School Farm
Heifer International
First Lady of Arkansas – Ginger Beebe
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute (UAWRI)
Arkansas Department of Education
Harrisburg School District
Highland School District
Little Rock School District (LRSD)
Monticello School District
Searcy County School District
Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI)
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture – Cooperative Extension Service
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)

Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)

ACHRI Research is Key to Prevention ACHRI and UAMS are the institutional home of the Delta Garden Study and provide the necessary infrastructure for staff offices and materials. The Lead Investigator, Dr. Judy Weber, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, Center for Applied Research and Evaluation, the section under which the cooperative agreement has been officially awarded. Several of the other Co-Investigators on the study are members of ACHRI/Department of Pediatrics and/or members of other UAMS colleges (College of Public Health, Institute on Aging, etc.).

Arkansas Urban Gardening Educational Resources (AUGER)

AUGER is our partner organization, a non-profit with a focus on strengthening urban agriculture throughout central Arkansas. AUGER's Board Members have provided gardening expertise and experience in both the grant writing stages and program planning stages and will continue to advise the Delta Garden Study staff as it moves into implementation.

Little Rock School District (LRSD)

The Little Rock School District is contributing to the Delta Garden Study through the use of its students for pre-testing of curriculum and survey instruments.

Winthrop Rockefeller Institute (UAWRI)

Winthrop Rockefeller Institutes extensive conference facilities and heritage garden sites provide the Delta Garden Study with opportunities for teacher training and workshops. In addition, WRI's extensive network of contacts and educational opportunities will enrich the Delta Garden Study's work in Arkansas.

Arkansas Local Foods Initiative (ALFI)

Arkansas Local Foods Initiative's commitment to strengthening local foods systems provides the Delta Garden Study with guidance and expertise on local farm to school movements, including the facilitation of school gardens around the state.

Heifer International

Heifer International. Through community organization meetings and consultation around issues affecting childhood obesity prevention and farm-to-school initiatives.

Dunbar Community Garden Project

The Dunbar Garden, established in 1992, is one of Arkansas' oldest school gardens and is serving as the Delta Garden Study's Master Garden. It will be used a teacher training site, demonstration garden and source of inspiration for everyone involved in the Delta Garden Study.

First Lady of Arkansas, Ginger Beebe

The First Lady and the Delta Garden Study both share a commitment to child health and thus are working together to promote and strengthen these initiatives.

Felder Farm

The Felder Farm is a school farm located on the campus of the Felder Academy, a middle and high school located in Little Rock. Felder Farm offers the Delta Garden Study school garden expertise and curriculum pilot testing opportunities.

University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture - Cooperative Extension Service

The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas' Division of Agriculture. It provides guidance and expertise on gardening, testing soil samples and example curricula used across the nation.

Dripping Springs Garden

Dripping Springs Garden serves as a resource for sustainable agriculture best practices, supplies and materials.