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Prescott Food Forest @ B Organic Farm

Prescott Food Forest Continues to Grow with Your Support

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On behalf of our growing team of gardeners, volunteers and students, I want to invite you to join us, too! What are you waiting for? Let’s get growing!

An amazing phenomenon is happening at the Prescott Forest @ B Organic Farm in Chino Valley.

Passionate and inquisitive Quad Cities residents are pitching in to help manage and harvest our growing garden beds and greenhouse.

Each Saturday, there’s a garden project party, which brings together families and individuals that enjoy fellowship, food, music and of course, gardening projects that need to be worked on. This combination has proven successful as each week we have between 10 and 15 volunteers picking fruits and veggies, planting new crops and weeding. The indoor greenhouse has cooled air, so we offer both options to participate.

Another milestone was met when we hosted the first Gardeners Of Destiny Kids Boot Camp where Stephane Leon led a four-day introduction to kids, ages 5-12, and their moms. It was a total success and brought together like-minded moms who know the value of teaching their kids how to grow food. Our goal has always been to teach the next generation this important life skill.

I am proud to announce our next Gardening Course “Autumn Gardening,” including how to plant and care for fall and early winter crops. The class is $99 for eight weeks but we are offering full scholarships (limited) in exchange for 10 hours of volunteer time. This model was very well received in previous courses. Go to prescottfoodforest.com<http://prescottfoodforest.com for more information or to  register. The classes run from 10 a.m. to noon, Aug. 19 to Sept. 23. These classes have sold out so reserve your spot today. Families are welcome too!

One of the great benefits of this program is all the fantastic people that want to help and learn more about gardening.

I’d like to give a big shout out to Doug and April Rich for their help and for sharing our mission. Also Nick and Kim Plancich and their daughter, Shelby, for volunteering and sharing our mission with their family and friends. That’s how this has grown, organically (pardon the pun).

We are seeking schools and clubs to work with to expand our greenhouse capacity and to lead a pumpkin-planting project as a fun competition with prizes and awards. If you would like to have your school or organization participate, call or email me directly.

On behalf of our growing team of gardeners, volunteers and students, I want to invite you to join us, too! What are you waiting for? Let’s get growing! QCBN

By John Murphy

John Murphy is the executive director of Make 100 Healthy Inc., an Arizona 501 c 3 non-profit. He’s also a Prescott-area realtor and can be contacted at John.teammurphy@gmail.com or 928-899-1341.

Teach Your Children Well at the Prescott Food Forest  

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The Prescott Food Forest @ B Organic Farm is committed to building a lush teaching garden and a productive food forest.

It’s all about the children! Our responsibility to the next generation is to empower them to be healthy, strong and self-sufficient. Teaching young people the art of growing food is at the core of our mission.

The Gardeners Of Destiny Training program has taught people of all ages how to plant, manage, harvest and eat real fruit and vegetables, which are nutritious and delicious.

One of our goals is to bring families together to help volunteer and tend to the gardens while they learn the nuances of growing food.

We have been blessed to have many families come to B Organic Farm every Saturday for classes and hands-on work in the greenhouse and our new half-acre outside garden.

To accelerate and incentivize families to grow together, we are offering a Family Kids Boot Camp to learn about the essential aspects of growing food. The camp is four days of garden fun, 10 to 11:30 a.m., Monday, July 17 to Thursday, July 20.

Activities include seed planting, a bug hunt, seed discovery, herb planting, pumpkin planting, harvesting, snacking and so much more. This class is perfect for kids ages 5 to 12. Mom and dad are welcome to join us as well. To register, go to www.prescottfoodforest.com or call 928-899-1341. Space is limited. Secure your spot today.

The cost is $50 per kid. We are offering scholarships on an as-needed basis. We are accepting donations to help support the program and to offer more scholarships to those who need them.

Recently, we’ve hosted Garden Project Parties with music and a BBQ after working in the garden beds. It’s a lot of fun and very productive. You are welcome to join us from 8 to 11 a.m.

Also, we have volunteers. Our Wednesday crew tends the garden from 9 a.m. to noon, and Fridays by invitation, to harvest food for our team, for food pantries and for sale. It’s a great time and a way to give back.

The Prescott Food Forest and Make 100 Healthy non-profit are actively working with local schools and groups to schedule service projects and special classes covering everything from fermentation, the benefits of mushrooms and preserving food.

In essence, we explore the full ecosystem of food creation, growth, harvesting, cooking and preserving the foods grown. Very cool.

If you want to take a tour or have a few hours to volunteer, we have a spot for you. The more people we have, the bigger the impact and quantity of food we can grow and give away.

To schedule a private tour, email me directly at jmurphy@itsexciting.com. All volunteers go home with fresh veggies from the garden. It’s a win-win situation. Please help us keep growing.

Teaching the next generation the art of growing food and the knowledge and skills to be self-sustainable is a very worthy pursuit. I welcome you to be part of our gardening family.

The Prescott Food Forest @ B Organic Farm is committed to building a lush teaching garden and a productive food forest. We are on our way. I want to thank you for your support.

Onward and upward! QCBN

By John Murphy

John Murphy is the founder of the Make 100 Healthy Foundation and a Prescott realtor. He can be reached directly at 908-309-7046. Make 100 Healthy, Inc. is an Arizona 501(c)3 non-profit organization.

Courtesy Photo: Volunteers work in the greenhouse and on the new half-acre outside garden to harvest food for food pantries and for sale.