MSU Tollgate Farm May 2020 · important considerations when planning a Fall school garden in the...
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See what's happening at Tollgate this month! MSU Tollgate Farm May 2020 Visit Our Website or Follow us on Save the Date! Upcoming Events Tollgate programming and events during Coronavirus COVID-19 Michigan State University has made the decision to cancel or postpone all in person activities until September 1st. There is nothing we love more than sharing the farm with each one of you. However, providing a safe place for social, emotional, and physical growth is paramount for all our programming. This news means t he farm will be closed to the public until September 1st and we will be cancelling all our summer activities including Summer Camps, Story Hour, Night Hikes, and Stewards Teen Leadership programs. We recognize that many children will be missing out on their normal school studies. The MSU Tollgate team has shared online video content on Facebook and will continue to share more resources on our social media pages. There are also many free resources available from Michigan State University
Transcript of MSU Tollgate Farm May 2020 · important considerations when planning a Fall school garden in the...
See what's happening at Tollgate this month!
MSU Tollgate Farm May 2020
Visit Our Website or Follow us on
Save the Date! Upcoming Events
Tollgate programming andevents during CoronavirusCOVID-19
Michigan State University hasmade the decision to cancel orpostpone all in person activitiesuntil September 1st. There is
nothing we love more than sharing the farm with each one ofyou. However, providing a safe place for social, emotional,and physical growth is paramount for all our programming. This news means the farm will be closed to the public untilSeptember 1st and we will be cancelling all our summeractivities including Summer Camps, Story Hour, Night Hikes,and Stewards Teen Leadership programs. We recognize that many children will be missing out on theirnormal school studies. The MSU Tollgate team has sharedonline video content on Facebook and will continue to sharemore resources on our social media pages. There are alsomany free resources available from Michigan State University
Extension.
Virtual School Garden Series
Join us for a series of free schoolgarden virtual education sessionsWednesdays at 10am. By registeringfor the entire series, you will be ableto attend each session using thesame link. May 20 at 10am: PollinatorGardening with Children with EllenKoehler. What are pollinators, andwhy are they important to us? Howcan we help pollinators? School and communitygardeners, join us to explore ideas and resources for place-based learning about plants, pollinators, and pollination. June 3 at 10am. Planning the Fall School Garden withKristine Hahn. Learn about the best crops to grow and someimportant considerations when planning a Fall school gardenin the narrow window from September - November. June 17 at 10am. Cover Crops for School Gardens withWill Jaquinde. Between social distancing and limited accessto schools, cover crops are a low maintenance option tocontrol weeds, improve soil, attract beneficial insects andmore! Learn the basics on how to plant and manage covercrops to get the most out of them for this season and beyond. Register to participate in the serieshere: https://msu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vf-urrzkvG9BovAkvXy8_NjMbAHPZIPin Questions? Please email Kristine Hahn.
Virtual Mornings on theFarm
Mornings on the Farm withsustainable agriculture
educator Will Jaquinde willcontinue to be virtual forthe rest of the spring andsummer with a $15 cost forattendees. The nextworkshop on May 31stfocuses on tips and tricks
for low energy garden maintenance. Will is in his 5th seasonmanaging the vegetable production at MSU Tollgate, whichgrows more than 150 varieties across 50 crops and threeacres using organic growing practices for a communitysupported agriculture (CSA) program. In this series, Willshares his decades of plant experience to help you grow alow maintenance, productive vegetable garden! Can't makethe May 31st workshop? Sign up for July 12th, and August16th. If you have any questions about the series, please emailWill Jaquinde.
For more information or to register, visit the event page.
We Are Still Looking for YourFeedback! Formal and Non-Formal Teacher NeedsSurvey Michigan State UniversityExtension Tollgate Farm'slearning experiences forteachers and students beginwith an inquiry learning andplace-based education focus. Asa means to better serveteachers, students, and schooldistricts during this time ofremote learning, Tollgate seeks your input on the types ofstudent and teacher learning opportunities that would be mosthelpful. Tollgate 2020 Teacher Needs Survey Here
The Tollgate Pollinator Project
What are pollinators, and whyare they important to us? Howcan we help pollinators?The Tollgate Farm PollinatorProject is a new remote learningseries for formal and non-formal
educators including videos, activities, and resources for place-based learning about plants, pollinators, and pollination. Formore information, visit the website.
Easy At-Home Activities forYouth
Check out our ExperienceTollgate Blog for some simpleat-home activities that inspirecreativity, exploration, andscience. We will continue toupdate this page with moreactivities weekly!
Maintaining connectionthrough virtual summercamp! The summer camp team at MSUTollgate Farm are excited toannounce that we will beoffering a free virtual summercamp platform starting the weekof June 22nd . This platform willbe updated weekly with athemed camp page filled withyouth activities, videos, recipes,
a blog, and so much more! This summer camp might look andfeel a little different than our usual camp on the farm,however, we will bring some of our favorite farm and outdoorexperiences to the comfort of your home. Be on the lookoutfor a for more updates soon!
Building Resilience with
Teens: Virtual SummerSteward Program Series
Our MSU Tollgate FarmStewards and Stewards-in-Training (13-19 years old) are acommunity of strong youngleaders who are passionateabout learning leadership skills while working with kids in theoutdoors. In light of summer camp being canceled, Tollgatewill be holding a Virtual Stewards Summer Series for our pastand current stewards and stewards-in-training every otherThursday, May 28 through August 20. Youth-led and staff-moderated zoom sessions will include time for fun,connection, and team-building as well as presentations byspecial guest presenters on a range of topics includingresiliency, mindfulness, relationships, leadership skills, andthe art of staying focused. For more information or to receivethe registration link, please email Ellen Koehler.
Rescheduled: Starry Night on theFarm now September 19-20th,2020
Starry Night on the Farm combinesadventure and learning for a funfamily overnight. What better way tocelebrate fall's arrival than to join usat MSU Tollgate Farm andEducation Center for an excitingoutdoor overnight learningexperience? This family-oriented visitwill give you a rare glimpse into whatgoes on after sundown on the farm.Come explore the night sky and theimportance of agriculture and thesun in our daily lives. Watch for moredetails come summer.
Tollgate Farm 4-H Club -Virtual Edition
We all miss being at the farmand look forward to the day thatwe can return. Meanwhile theClub has been meeting virtuallyvia Zoom.
We have been testing the virtual waters with various activities:Bingo, learning about how killdeer raise their young, picking abasket design for a virtual basket weaving event, and makingvirtual visits to the farm. At one meeting we made a wordcloud answering the question: Why is Is Tollgate Special?
Click here for a 4-H word search created by one of ourmembers.
For more information about Tollgate Farm 4-H Club visits uson the web, on facebook, or email us!
This Month's 4-H Newsletter isHere!
Oakland County 4-HConnections is a monthlynewsletter for 4-H members,families, and the generalcommunity with news andinformation about 4-H youthdevelopment activities inOakland County.
May Newsletter
Tollgate News & Announcements
Missing Tollgate Farm?
Our Sakura Garden hasbloomed, we are fertilizing thehay fields, and invasive garlicmustard is blooming! Want to
learn more about what'shappening on the farm duringthe Covid-19 Stay Home, StaySafe order? Click here to seephotos and learn more about theessential work on the farm.
Update on SustainableAgriculture at Tollgate Farm
Our Sustainable Agricultureteam is getting ready for the firstCSA distribution next week. They are excited to haveincorporated their Farmall 140tractor into the operation. Theyhave mounted a wooden gridroller (after previously rolling itby hand) and can now makestraight uniform beds inseconds. This makes
transplanting faster and the plant placement much moreuniform. They have also placed the 'Cat' Tunnels for thetomatoes and peppers. For more updates, check out ourfacebook and instagram.
What Does Tollgate Mean toYou?
At Tollgate, we have beenthinking about the beauty of thefarm and all of the gatheringsand learning experiences thathave come to life over the years.Will you share with us what
Tollgate means to you?Photographs with or withoutcaptions, stories, poems,anecdotes, memories arewelcome. Another option wouldbe to film yourself answering thequestion, 'What does Tollgatemean to me?' Once these have been gathered,we'll send the collection back outto the Tollgate community. Wehope that sharing in this way willhelp us all maintain our special Tollgate connection duringthis time of physical distancing. Please sign and return thismedia release with your submission by emailing EllenKoehler.
A Newsletter for the Formaland Informal Educators
Our new quarterly newsletter foreducators is a place whereformal and non formal educatorscan share ideas and bestpractices for teaching scienceoutdoors and for connectingclassroom learning to the placewe know as Tollgate Farm.
Tollgate Newsletter for Formaland Non Formal Educators
School FarmCollaboration for the2020/2021 School Year
Using research-basedcurriculum and methods,school and communitygroups explore the farmand the natural world
through inquiry and place-based learning. Remote learningseries are available. Reservations for school-to-farmcollaboration are being accepted now and in the future withpayment postponed until the 20/21 school year comes intofocus.
Tollgate strives to provide opportunities for youth andadults of all income levels and welcomes a broad cross-section of participants to experience farm-based experientiallearning. The goal of the financial aid process at Tollgate is toprovide as many youth and adults as possible with theopportunity to enrich learning and broaden their experiences.Funding is limited and applications are reviewed based on theneeds of the participants, potential impact on their learning,cost of the program, and potential for meaningfulcollaboration.
Reserve School-to-Farm Visit for 2020/2021 School YearHere
Coming Soon! VolunteerCentral for MSU ExtensionVolunteers
We are grateful and appreciateour volunteers at MSUTollgateFarm. Coming soon is a new
volunteer selection process called Volunteer Centralwhich all volunteers with MSU Extension will be asked tocomplete. Watch for word from Tollgate staff or, if you are anExtension Master Gardener, from your County MasterGardener Coordinator.
Tollgate Opportunities
Rent the TollgateConference Center StartingSeptember 1st, 2020
The MSU TollgateConference Center, historicbarn, and Americana
boardroom are available for your next business meeting,bridal or baby shower, private luncheon, or special event. Ourcatering staff are available to meet your needs for your event!
To learn more about hosting your event at Tollgate, visitthe Conference Center Website.
MSU Tollgate Farm AcceptingWedding Reservations for2021!
Looking for a wedding orrehearsal dinner venue for2021? MSU Tollgate Farm is
now acceptation reservations for 2021. Did you have tocancel or reschedule your wedding reservation for Tollgate orany other venue in 2020? Book with us and get 20% off! Email our Events Coordinator Kari Heughens for moreinformation.
MSU Tollgate Farm and Education Center offers programsthroughout the year designed to allow adults and children to
experience learning hands-on, explore the joys of gardening andthe natural world, appreciate and promote locally grown food, and
build community.
MSU Tollgate Farm and Education Center28115 Meadowbrook Rd.
Novi, MI 48377248-347-0269
[email protected]://tollgate.msu.edu/
MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan StateUniversity Programs and materials are open to all, without regard to race,
color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, height, weight,disability,political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital, family or veteran status.
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