We invite you to be a part of Good Food Projects sustainable gardening community that supports a healthy Cenla! Because a Happy Life is a Healthy Life!


Second Annual Inglewood Classic 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run

(Photo - Courtesy of Melinda Martinez - Town Talk Alexandria. LA)

The historic Inglewood Farm was the site of the second annual Inglewood Classic 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run with proceeds benefiting Good Food Project on Saturday, April 21, 2018. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day weekend and to enjoy the beauty of nature at one of the prime scenic locations in Central Louisiana.

Nearly 100 runners and walkers enjoyed the early morning atmosphere as the Inglewood Market Barn kicked to life and a gorgeous sun rise inspired them to run the course. According to Lee Weeks, General Manager of Inglewood Market Barn and GFP Advisory Council member, the course was mapped out to take runners 2/3 the way past newly planted rows of corn and soybeans, around the pecan groves, and then back along scenic Old Baton Rouge Highway where Inglewood cows graze. The walkers were treated to the pastoral beauty of the pastures lined with ancient live oaks and a lovely bayou.

Donna Capps, Development Manager for the Good Food Project summed up the day very well, as she remarked that "there are a lot of ways to grow gardens. You grow vegetables, you grow partnerships, you grow responsibility, but you also have to grow funds, and this is one of the ways we grow funds for the gardens Good Food Project supports." We look forward to more years of this great annual event. Many thanks to the sponsors and all the participants!

If you or someone you know might be interested in making a donation to Good Food Project of the Food Bank of Central Louisiana, check out the donations page of the GFP website: https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/foodbankofcentrallouisiana

A student at Louisiana Special Education Center plants tomatoes.
























Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Sayes, life-long gardeners - growing food to feed their neighbors



April
  • Beans, Bush, Lima, Pole, Yard-long
  • Butterfly milkweed
  • Cantaloupes
  • Chard, Swiss
  • Collards
  • Corn, sweet
  • Cucumbers
  • Cucuzzi Squash
  • Eggplant (plants)
  • Gourds (of various kinds - luffas)
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Marigolds
  • Mirliton
  • Mustard Greens
  • Lettuce
  • Okra
  • Peas, Southern
  • Pepper, Bell & Hot (Seed - indoors)
  • Pumpkin
  • Summer Squash
  • Sunflowers
  • Tomatoes Plants after last frost)
  • Watermelons
  • Zinnias







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What Can I Plant this Month and Next Month?
May
  • Amaranth
  • Basil
  • Beans - Bush, Lima, Pole, Snap, Yard-long
  • Bergamot
  • Cantaloupes
  • Chard, Swiss
  • Collards
  • Corn, Sweet
  • Cucumbers
  • Cucuzzi Squash
  • Cushaw
  • Eggplant (Plants)
  • Garlic Chives
  • Gourds (of various kinds - luffas)
  • Hyssop
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Lemon Balm
  • Lemon Verbena
  • Mexican Oregano
  • Mexican Tarragon
  • Lettuce
  • Mints
  • Mirliton
  • Mustard Greens
  • Spinach (Malabar & New Zealand)
  • Okra
  • Oregano
  • Peanuts
  • Peas, Southern
  • Pepper, Bell & Hot (Plants)
  • Potatoes, Sweet
  • Pumpkin
  • Rosemary
  • Sesame
  • Soybeans (Edible)
  • Sweet potatoes (Slips or rooted cuttings)
  • Summer Squash
  • Tomatoes (Plants)
  • Watermelon
  • Yard-Long Beans
  • Yarrow
James Theus volunteers at the demonstration garden on Work Day Wednesday.
Good Food Project Recipe of the Month
Braised Kale
Kale is the king of dark green leafy vegetables that can be planted through April and May. It provides the body with more iron per ounce than beef. Kale is chock full of nutrients like magnesium, potassium, and calcium. 
Ingredients:
·          1/3 Cup extra-virgin olive oil
·          1/2 Cup chopped onion
·          1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
·          1 ½ Cup chicken stock
·          3 Lbs. coarsely chopped kale (remove large ribs), washed and drained
·          Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1.       Heat extra-virgin olive oil in a large pot (a wok-style pot works well) until it shimmers. Add chopped onion and stir until the onion becomes transparent, add garlic and stir until fragrant.
2.       Add chicken stock, cook until right at the boiling point
3.       Add large handfuls of kale, turn until it turns bright green, then add another handful until all kale is added to the stock.
4.       Salt and pepper to taste
5.       Cook for about 5 minutes until kale is wilted
Serve as a Nutritious Side Dish
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Note Worthy News from GFP
We remember our dear friend and volunteer, Dianne Melder this month. She was a committed volunteer at the Pineville Youth Center Garden Club. GFP recognized her in 2017 as Youth Group Volunteer of the Year. Each Wednesday for the past several years, Dianne came and helped teach the children how to grow vegetables and helped with the snack preparations and food demonstrations held each week for the club. Good Food Project and Mr. Peychaud, Director of PYC, and the children will miss her sunny disposition and positive outlook. We honor her memory as a master gardener and an honorable and compassionate woman.
In Memory of Mary Dianne Villemarette Melder - An Extraordinary Volunteer
If you or your group is interested in volunteering for Work Day Wednesday or at one of our partner gardens, please contact us at Good Food Project 318-445-2773 or via The Food Bank of Central Louisiana website and our volunteer portal: https://fbcenla.galaxydigital.com/
April Scenes and Tips
Louisiana Special Education Center

GFP began a new partnership this month with LA Special Ed. Center - we look forward to providing technical support for their fantastic garden program and equally fantastic staff!
GFP celebrated our great volunteers and Advisory Council members this month by honoring their birthdays. Our great garden friends: Don Bullock, Jackie Duncan, and Marilyn Rabalais - We love you guys!
GardenTip: Mycobacterium vaccae, or soil microbes, mirror the effect on neurons in the brain that drugs like Prozac provide. So - go play in the dirt!! It's good for you - you'll feel better!
Pineville Youth Center Garden Club where kids try new foods and learn about sustainable gardening and good nutrition.
Tasting good food you've never tried before is a big step - one GFP encourages!