August is a last call for lazing at the Shore, making good on that camping trip, and sending thoughts of school out to sea. But as summer winds down, harvest season is just getting started.
Local farms are overflowing with tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, kale, Swiss chard, and fresh herbs. At Grow It Green Morristown, that abundance will be celebrated during its annual fall festival, “AlFresco at the Farm.”
The free family event takes place on September 19 from 3–6 p.m. (rain date: September 20), and features live music, food, flower crafts, caricature drawings, field games, and educational stations.
“It’s really about community building,” said Adrienne Novak, Development Manager of Grow It Green.
Located behind the Lafayette Learning Center on Hazel Street, the one-acre Urban Farm gives students hands-on access to growing food and understanding where it comes from. The organization also maintains the Early Street Community Garden and a year-round greenhouse at Saint Elizabeth University.
To date, the farm has served thousands of children throughout the Morris School District and neighboring communities.
“Some kids may not have backyards to grow food or have never seen a live chicken,” said Farm Education Manager Kim Haupt, affectionately known as “Farmer Kim.” Even the chickens have a purpose, contributing eggs, compost, and endless entertainment.
Through age-appropriate programs for students in preK–12, Grow It Green teaches children that, as Novak puts it, “Food doesn’t miraculously appear in a plastic bag in a supermarket.”
The lessons often produce surprising results. “I’ll have kids say, ‘I don’t like vegetables, but I like these vegetables,’” Haupt explained.
In an increasingly virtual world, Grow It Green is reconnecting children with nature—one child and one vegetable at a time.
Visit the Farm Stand at 31 Hazel Street. For more information, visit www.growitgreenmorristown.org.