Lafayette Community Garden

August 26: Join Us for Botanical Journaling & Garden Potluck

Posted on July 16, 2018

New participants are invited to learn about

Botanical Journaling with John Muir Laws

Sunday, August 26 | 10AM to 2PM

Gifted naturalist John Muir Laws (and other seasoned artists) will be coming to the Lafayette Community Garden & Outdoor Learning Center on Sunday, August 26 to share his approach to drawing vegetables. Join us to observe their craft and experience what it takes to set up your own journaling kit, how to sketch “in the field” and learn the foundational strategy to draw any subject.

Sign up today and bring with you a sketchbook, your favorite drawing pencils and something delicious to share at the Potluck lunch.

Why Garden with Kids

Posted on June 18, 2018 Updated on June 21, 2018

Top 5 reasons to garden with kids:

1. Gardening inspires healthy eating. Children are more likely to try fruits and vegetables that they have planted, nurtured and harvested.
2. Gardening affects the brain. Kids learn from working in the garden. They tend to be more inquisitive and will ask questions about how sun and water can cause a plant to grow out of a tiny seed. Add to this some math—counting, measuring—and experimentation. And think of all those brain-boosting vitamins and minerals in the food they eat.
3. Gardening provides much needed physical activity. The recommended amount of exercise for children is 90 minutes. Gardening provides plenty of physical activity, such as digging in dirt, carrying a watering can and pulling around a wagon full of soil.
4. Gardening improves mood. There is something satisfying about digging in dirt. The microbes found in dirt can make you happier and more relaxed. Maybe that is why kids gravitate toward gardening tools.
5. Gardening promotes patience and self-esteem. Think of how proud a child would be to harvest a carrot he or she tended to over weeks. And instead of immediate gratification, this child would have learned that patience bears the best fruit.

If you are interested in learning more about gardening with young children, register and join us at the garden for a free class, Introducing Young Children to the Garden, on Saturday, June 23 from 1:00PM to 2:00PM.

Workshop: How to Raise Your Own Chickens

Posted on January 4, 2018 Updated on January 4, 2018

Lafayette resident, Papa John Kiefer, is offering workshops again.

Topics will include:
♥ raising young chicks
♥ laying hen maintenance
♥ sustainable coop construction

Workshops are FREE and will be held in Lafayette from 1:00 to 3:30PM, on Sunday, March 4 and Sunday, March 18.

Reservations are required.
Contact: chickenspapajohn@gmail.com

The Kiefer Sustainable Coop provides all the natural elements for chickens to be healthy, productive and safe. It is unique in that there is no smell and no cleaning.

The Season is Winding Down…

Posted on October 17, 2017

Thank you to all that attended our 6th Annual Harvest Fest on Sunday, October 15, 2017. We had some wonderful speakers and lots of kids of all ages making scarecrows, playing games and eating yummy food. Much appreciation goes out to all the volunteers who worked tirelessly to put on this event and to all the community participants for coming to share their passions.

We feel our garden is a gift to our community and are always happy to see people take the time to visit us and to find out what we are all about.

That said, we have only two more weeks till the 2017 season comes to a close. In the coming weeks, we will be bedding down for winter and preparing for spring. During our work days — Tuesdays from 4PM to 7PM, Thursdays from 9AM to noon, and Saturdays from 9AM to 1PM — we welcome you for a visit.

We are also taking applications for the 2018 season, so if you are interested in getting involved next year, please fill out an application form and send it our way.

STEAM Storytime Saturday, September 30

Posted on September 2, 2017

Join Youth Services Librarian Orlando Guzman of the Lafayette Library for a special family interactive storytime and science activity at the Lafayette Community Garden on Saturday, September 30, 2017 from 10:00AM to 12:00PM.

• enjoy a short owl storytime,
• sing a song or two,
• learn about owls and their diets by dissecting owl pellets
• take the Story Trail through the garden’s first Picture Book installation.

For ages 4 and up. Consider carpooling, walking, or biking as parking is limited.

Space is limited, so register online and reserve your space now: tinyurl.com/LAFStoryowl