Fruits, vegetables, and crafts available on Fridays in June (6/7, 6/14/, 6/21)
served with messages about environmental sustainability and food justice
Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School (BUGS) students are presenting a Farm Stand and Community Market this June to increase community awareness about social, economic, and environmental sustainability and food justice, as well as encourage more environmentally friendly actions and behavior. Farm-fresh produce, crafts, and baked goods are available at the Market on Friday, June 7, 14, and 21st from 8:30 to 3:30pm, Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School, 500 19th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11215.
“Our BUGS students are so excited about their farm stand project and the real connections and contributions they are making to the community. Our soft launch this past Friday was a real hit with students and customers alike. It’s a classic BUGS project because it is student-centered and highly interdisciplinary. Curriculum in all BUGS classes wrap around related themes and real-world skills. BUGS students designed and launched this market kale-soup-to-nuts, taking real-world risks and sharing BUGS Bounty! Not only did our 6th graders learn so much, but they are also themselves educating and inspiring our community in and outside our school building to consider how we can all contribute to a more socially just and sustainable world. ” said Susan Tenner, Executive Director, Brooklyn Urban Garden Charter School.
The Community Market and Farm Stand is the capstone of the 6th grade spring semester interdisciplinary sustainability project. In science class students studied seed dissection and germination, planted seeds, and created flats and containers for plants. In math class, they worked on a business plan for the market – looking at costs of goods, revenue, and expenses. In reading and writing classes, they designed ‘zines that can be sold at the market and in social studies they studied the Silk Road, researched teas and spices, and created products they could sell at the market. Students also engaged in related community service projects such as finding new uses for unwanted books, sharing with Pre-K students their original writings about the market and the impact of herbs and spices on different cultures, and created functional art projects for the market made out of recycled goods.
We would like to thank our Farm Stand and Community Market program partners including Whole Kids Foundation, IOBY, IDBBank, Slow Food, Grow NYC, Citizens Committee for New York City, and the support of our many friends and families.