Cream of the Crop

April 2006

Teacher Resource Guide 2006
The new edition of the Teacher Resource Guide is now available! The guide contains over 500 free or low-cost resources that you can use to bring agriculture into your classroom. Field trip ideas, grants, books, and Web sites are also listed. Available in book and CD formats, request your free copy today!

Cream of the Crop
The Spring 2006 issue of the Cream of the Crop educator newsletter is now available. If you are on the mailing list, watch your mailbox in the next coming weeks for your copy. For a sneak peek, visit the Web site to read it online or request multiple copies (free).

California School Garden Network
The new California School Garden Network Web site is a resource for educators who have or want to start a garden on their school campus. The Web site features an in-depth list of lesson ideas, research to support garden-based learning, contact information for regional organizations, and more. Visit the Web site at www.csgn.org and watch for the upcoming book due out in the fall.

"Art in Agriculture" Best of Show
Cassidy Foelsch, a fourth grader at Canyon Rim Elementary School in Anaheim Hills, won Best of Show for her artwork entitled "A Healthier Choice." The award was announced at California Ag Day at the state capitol on March 29. Cassidy received recognition from Secretary of Agriculture A. G. Kawamura the next day during AGDAY LA at Los Cerritos Elementary School. Congratulations Cassidy!
View photo of unveiling at the capitol
View photo of Cassidy Foelsch with A. G. Kawamura

Education and the Environment Initiative
Cal/EPA and the California Integrated Waste Management Board are providing six professional development workshops scattered about the state for California’s non-governmental, non-profit environmental organizations and other interested parties to learn about the Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI). The workshops will also provide technical support on adapting materials and programs to reflect California’s Environmental Principles and Concepts and the Model Curriculum that is being developed.
For more information and workshop dates, visit www.calepa.ca.gov (PDF).

Theodore Payne Wildflower Hotline
Where are the best places to view wildflowers in California? Now through May the answer is only a call or a click away. Updated on Thursday evenings, these reports describe in detail which native plants are in bloom and how to get to them.
Call 818/768-3533 or visit www.theodorepayne.org and click on "Wildflower Hotline"

The Tree Farmer
This new picture book is an introduction for young people to the many ways that forest resources are a part of our lives and how they can continue to provide for and be preserved across generations. Written by Chuck Leavell and Nicholas Cravotta and illustrated by Rebecca Bleau. ISBN 1-893622-16-9, VSP Books, 2005.

California Fit Business Tips of the Month
Do you eat the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables and get the recommended amount physical activity every day? This monthly newsletter provides tips and recipes for achieving your goals, even in the workplace. April's featured fruit and vegetable are cherries and carrots.
Read the April Tips (PDF) or sign up to receive them via e-mail.

Water Awareness Month Poster Contest
Deadline: Apr. 14, 2006
In celebration of Water Awareness Month in May, fourth grade students are invited by the California Farm Water Coalition to create an 8 1/2" x 11" poster that expresses their feelings about irrigated agriculture in California.
For more information and entry instructions, visit farmwater.org

Genomics: From Mendel to Microarrays
Deadline: Apr. 17, 2006
July 9-14, 2006 UC Davis
Sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the University of California, Davis, this 5-day course is designed to introduce secondary teachers to genomics and provide hands-on biotechnology and genomics activities for the classroom. Topics include biotechnology and genomics as they relate to agriculture, medicine, and the environment. Three units of academic credit are available. Institute attendance, workshop materials, housing, and meals are free. Participants need to cover travel costs to UC Davis.
For more information and to apply, visit ppge.ucdavis.edu

Citigroup Success Fund and Great Valley Center’s LEGACI Program
Deadline: Apr. 21, 2006
K-12 teachers in Central San Joaquin Valley (Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern) counties are invited to apply for this grant of $500 to $1,500 to develop innovative programs that encourage students at risk to stay in school. How can hands-on learning in the garden and relating core subjects to real life experiences help students develop goals for their futures?
For more information and to fill out an application online, visit www.greatvalley.org/legaci

OSH School Garden Program
Deadline: Apr. 30, 2006
Each of the 86 California Orchard Supply Hardware stores hope to adopt a school in their vicinity and supply all materials necessary to build a school garden (valued up to $1,000).
For more information and an application, visit www.osh.com

9th Annual Great Valley Center Conference
May 10-11, 2006 Sacramento
This year’s theme, "At the Tipping Point," acknowledges that decisions related to transportation, the economy, health, education and communities will play a significant role in determining whether California’s fastest growing region evolves into a prosperous region.
For more information, visit www.greatvalley.org/conference

California ReLeaf Grant
Deadline: May 12, 2006
Incorporated nonprofit organizations and unincorporated community based groups in California are invited to apply for this grant of $1,000 to $7,500 to purchase, plant and then maintain trees on public land.
For more information, visit www.californiareleaf.org