Gone Fishing
This week, the Region 1 Rising Star Interns are hooked on conservation in northwest Iowa. We had the opportunity to attend the last Lyon County Master Conservationist meeting at Lake Pahoja near Inwood, Iowa. We participated in conservation activities such as the Iowa State University Conservation Station Water Rocks, dip netting in the pond, went “fishing” with children, and learned about native Iowa prairie plant species. This was a neat event to attend, and we learned a lot about conservation while enjoying a very delicious meal!
Planting the Rainbow
On Wednesday, we traveled to George, Iowa to start a summer gardening program with the George Daycare. The theme we chose for this garden was rainbow. We helped the children plant a vegetable or flower from each rainbow colors and a few extras. Together, they planted red bell peppers, orange carrots, yellow squash, green peas, blue bachelor buttons, purple turnips, pink zinnias, and white onions. Our second activity was to read a book with the children called “Over in the Garden” by Jennifer Ward. We also had the children color rainbows to match the garden’s theme to accompany the story. Our last activity was painting garden rocks to decorate and add even more color to the already vibrant garden. We all had so much fun and were exhausted after entertaining three to nine-year-olds for only one hour. But, we are so excited to continue going every Wednesday to help educate them about gardening and healthy living.
Fruit Salad
Thursday morning, we made our way to Orange City to do a lesson for the dayhab clients at Hope Haven. This week, we started with a MyPlate review where the clients chose a well-balanced meal from provided food card choices. Then we started our new project for the summer. We are making food group flashcards; we focused on fruits this week. The fruits we included were bananas, apples, grapes, and strawberries. The flashcards include the name of the fruit, serving size, and nutrients they provide. Our goal is that the clients will utilize these flashcards when shopping and feel encouraged to make healthier choices. Finally, we had sugar snap peas for our clients to taste. Some of them really enjoyed them while others did not, but we were able to expose them to a different and possibly new vegetable. All of the participating clients received a $2 token to use at the Orange City Farmers Market. We are excited to continue educating this group and help them live a healthier lifestyle.
On Thursday afternoon, we spent some time at the Sanborn Community garden. We were tasked with beginning the long process of clearing a small plot for a children’s garden. Although it was hard work, we are excited to see what the children plant there and watch them grow an interest in local foods and gardening.
Joke of the Week
What do two bananas do when they meet each other?
A banana shake