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!


Summer Garden and Nutrition Club Begins at City of Alexandria Youth Camp this Month


On June 4th, Good Food Project began a weekly garden and nutrition class at the City of Alexandria Summer Youth Camp on Sylvester St. as part of our ongoing collaborations and partnership with the city. Courtney Paige, Special Events Coordinator for the city, helped select approximately 25 children ranging in age from 5-12 years as participants in the class. Each week, GFP staff leads these young people in garden maintenance and harvesting. A practical, hands-on or experiential lesson on gardening and/or nutrition is provided, as well. Four raised garden beds that were installed in May have now been planted, by the children, with tomatoes, bell and banana peppers, cucumbers and eggplant.

A day will be scheduled for The Food Bank of Cenla's Nutrition on Wheels truck to go to the center so that all 125 participating youth can see a healthy cooking demonstration and then taste the results. Another day will be scheduled for some of the children to visit in the GFP demonstration garden as a field trip excursion. This will give the garden club participants an opportunity to see a large production garden, worms, pollinators, and chickens.

A key component to the garden club is to provide information and role-playing opportunities that shows the kids that they can have access to fresh, nutritious food, thereby helping them make healthier food choices. Because a Healthy Life is a Happy Life!

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

A City of Alexandria Summer Youth Camp Garden Club Participant planting peppers

June
  • Amaranth
  • Basil
  • Beans - Bush, Lima, Pole, Snap, Yard-long
  • Bergamot
  • Cantaloupe
  • Collards
  • Corn, Sweet
  • Cucumbers
  • Cucuzzi Squash
  • Cushaw
  • Edible Soybeans
  • Eggplant (Plants)
  • Garlic Chives
  • Hyssop
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Lemon Balm
  • Lemon Verbena
  • Luffa Gourds
  • Mexican Oregano
  • Mexican Tarragon
  • Mints
  • Mirliton
  • Mustard Greens
  • Okra
  • Oregano
  • Peanuts
  • Peas, Southern
  • Pepper, Bell & Hot (Plants)
  • Potatoes, Sweet (slips or rooted cuttings)
  • Pumpkin
  • Rosemary
  • Sesame
  • Soybeans (Edible)
  • Spinach (Malabar & New Zealand)
  • Summer Squash
  • Tomatoes (Plants)
  • Watermelon
  • Yarrow
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What Can I Plant this Month and Next Month?
July
  • Broccoli Seed
  • Brussels Sprouts (Seeds)
  • Cabbage Seed
  • Cantaloupe
  • Cauliflower Seed
  • Collards
  • Chinese Cabbage Seed
  • Cucumbers
  • Cucuzzi Squash
  • Cushaw
  • Eggplant (Plants)
  • Garlic Chives
  • Kale (Seed)
  • Kohlrabi (Seed)
  • Lemon Balm
  • Luffa gourds
  • Mexican Tarragon
  • Mints
  • Okra
  • Peanuts
  • Peas, Southern
  • Pepper, Bell & Hot (Plants)
  • Potatoes, Sweet
  • Pumpkin
  • Rutabaga (Seeds)
  • Shallots
  • Summer Squash
  • Sunflowers
  • Tomatoes (Plants)
  • Watermelon
Inter-generational learning experiences happen at the Good Food Project demonstration garden - Jackie Duncan, a master gardener shows a Little Red Wagon Daycare visitor around the garden.
Good Food Project Recipe of the Month
Refreshing Cucumber-Melon Salad
Crisp cucumbers and sweet cantaloupes and watermelons can be planted all summer long in Central Louisiana. This is a refreshing salad that kids and adults loved this month. Serve as a side dish or as a stand-alone snack with a few whole-grain crackers! It's an affordable and cool treat for everyone that is packed with flavor and nutrients! 
Ingredients:
  • 5 Mini cucumbers
  • 3 Cups of seedless watermelon - cubed
  • 3 Cups of cantaloupe - cubed
  • 3 Cups of green grapes
  • 2 Green onions - chopped

  • Dressing:
  • 1/4 Cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 Cup of lime juice (1 lime)
  • Grated peel of 1 lime (about 2 tsp.)
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger root
  • 2 Cloves of minced garlic
  • 1/2 Tsp. salt
  • 1/2 Tsp. pepper
         Di rections:
1.      Combine cucumbers, melons, grapes, and green onions in a large container. Add the salt and pepper, drizzle with dressing, gently toss again - serve immediately
Serve as a Nutritious Side Dish or Snack!
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Note Worthy News from GFP
On Wednesday, June 6th, 100 state-wide FFA members volunteered at The Food Bank of Cenla helping fill senior boxes and kids backpacks; additionally, 30 of them volunteered at the Good Food Project demonstration garden doing garden maintenance, weeding and planting. These exceptional young people exhibited a strong sense of community-minded spirit in giving a "Day of Service" that our organization greatly appreciated. We look forward to having them back again!
Be a Good Food Project Volunteer - Adults and Youth learn how to grow their own food and how to serve their community!
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/
June Scenes and Tips From Around Cenla
Kids at the City of Alexandria Youth Camp enjoying a favorite GFP snack - 7-Layer Dip as part of their weekly garden and nutrition class.
Louisiana Special Education Center's "Pelican Pickles" from their abundant cucumber harvest.
Work on the Good Food Project's wall mural kicked into high gear this month - volunteers welcome on Mondays!
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Garden Tip: Fig trees: There are several factors that affect whether a tree will bear fruit: 1. Age - usually takes 2-6 years to bear figs 2. Too much nitrogen in the soil 3. Water stress - either too much water or too little
GFP staff assisted participants at Friendship House Adult Day Services to pot some smile-inducing flowers for them to enjoy at home! Flowers not only brighten up our lives, but they help bring pollinators to our gardens so our vegetables and fruits can bear nourishing food.
A variety of gourds are growing in the demo garden this month, like 'birdhouse' and 'wings and warts' that give the garden a lush, fairy-tale quality