What a busy & great new school year it has been!  We have new students and old and everyone is enjoying time spent on Thornhill Farm or in their own gardens created with Adaptive Gardens staff.  Before getting into all of the great stuff that has been going on, we need to send a gigantic THANK YOU to everyone who made our 4th annual Local Music on the Farm event possible.

Dangermuffin, Oh Valentino, SC Broadcasters, Awendaw Green & Eddie White, Our Local Foods, Brannon Florie, Nancy Marshall, Zelda Grant, Melissa with Trashgurl, Kristin Clapper with Hoopla Studios, 17 North Roadside Kitchen, Harry Crissy, Maria & Gary Baldwin, Mary Beth & Gary Thornhill, Sharon Knisley, Teri & Julian Levin, Shannon Thornhill, Coast Brewing Co., Palmetto Brewing Co., Andrea McClellan, Gooden Farms/Teresa, Sam Watson, Yuka Duke, Matt Frye & all of the great Our Local Foods interns, Carol McClellan, Rivertowne Country Club, Greg Peralta, McCrady’s, Husk, Queen Anne’s Revenge, The Boathouse at Breach Inlet, Seaside Acupuncture, Kolton Bodyworks, Resort Boating, Marcia Davidson, Karen Attanasi, T.W. Graham’s Restaurant, Thomas Beach, Daniel “Jimbo” and all of our wonderful volunteers!  Thank you for making our fundraiser such a wonderful and fun event!  Proceeds from the Local Music on the Farm event help us continue providing services individuals with special needs and we are excited about some new employees this fall!

Other than the 150 individuals that we provide therapeutic gardening services to each week, Adaptive Gardens has begun offering employment opportunities to individuals with disabilities.  These positions cover a myriad of skills but primarily focus on the production of cottage industry items and produce.  Our Garden Gifts line of products are grown and produced on Thornhill Farm by our students and employees.  From our Gardener’s Soap to our yummy Cilantro Micro Greens, we are giving these individuals real world vocational training and an opportunity to give back to their community.  While there can always be set backs, we continue to move forward and are striving to increase program services to 200 special needs individuals by 2014!

Two of our unfortunate set backs this autumn have been garden pests… The Attack of the Army Worms… demolished our fall squash and tomato crop and then… as we replanted our chickens, yes, OUR PET Chickens (which we feed well and care for wonderfully), decided to escape their free range area and come over and eat our lovely little seedlings.  So, we are on our fourth planting and have decided to start making scrumptious salads for the hens each day so maybe they will stop making a salad bar of our raised beds.  Although, disappointing, with it comes lessons for our students and an opportunity for problem solving in dealing with our pests.

Regardless of set backs, Adaptive Gardens moves forward and you can find our Gardener’s Soap (with Luffa sponge and Lemongrass oil) at www.ourlocalfoods.com/kitchentablecuisine/ and www.Etsy.com.  Soon we will have our Seed Paper Cards available for purchase online as well.

Until then, join us on November 30, 5-8pm and December 1, 10-3pm on Pinckney Street, McClellanville, SC for the Village Holiday Art Walk!  There will be beautifully crafted items by local artists and craftsmen.

The garden beds are flush, the greenhouse is packed and beautiful to walk into, the chickens are happy and definitely well fed, the students are thriving and learning new things daily. These are the things we post pictures of and keep you up to date on. But it is time to take our gardening hats off to our wonderful volunteers!
Every time we meet a new volunteer, we are blown away by their energy, dedication and selflessness. These are, simply put, AMAZING HUMAN BEINGS! We thank them for being there for us and being a part of our organization.

Murrells Inlet Elks Lodge volunteers came out and joined us on March 6th. Spearheaded by Bill Judd this group of people could not have lifted our spirits more. Trailing Dave’s truck were six brand new raised beds built by these Elks Lodge members. They unloaded and set the beds into place behind the activity center. And what do you know, but two days later, Bill is back with a truckload of soil to fill the beds. The advantages raised beds give to the students who participate in our programming is grand. The students abilities to garden to their full potential is allowed sometimes only by the elevation of the bed. So, to all of the Elks Lodge volunteers—we are sending a very heartfelt thank you!!

March 29th and 30th brought with it a sweet breeze that carried in 12 University of Missouri students. These college students chose to volunteer their time for needy organizations rather than go play in the sun over their Spring Break! Students accomplished a number of projects like: building new flower beds, transplanting seedlings, planting & mulching Luffa, helping wrap soaps and building the frame for a wheelchair accessible ramp. They make the future look bright. Thank you all!

Because we do not say it enough….
To our volunteer Board of Directors which includes Maria Baldwin, Sharon Knisley, Mary Beth Thornhill, Teri Levin and Harry Crissy we THANK YOU!

[caption id="attachment_785" align="alignright" width="225" caption="First Squash!"][/caption]

Welcome to a New Year on the farm!  Students came back after holiday break and did not skip a beat.  Soil Mixing began and soon after seeding started.  The Luffa seedlings are doing wonderfully, so we hope to have loads of Gardener’s soap to sell!  Students collected the seeds last year after harvesting the Luffa sponges and stored the seeds to assure viability for planting this year.

The broccoli is almost ready to harvest and students will be tasting this super food soon!  After hearing many students tell us their New Year’s resolutions were to eat better, we look forward to letting them eat this tasty  and oh-so-good-for-you vegetable.

Animal care continues with the addition of more chickens.  Students have, also, had opportunities to check out the new sheep, pigs and green egg laying chickens on the farm.

Get your gardens ready: we will have plants for sale coming in late March/early April.  Varieties of vegetables, flowers and herbs will be available and will have been grown from seed by the students.

Come see us on the farm & check out all the new additions!  Contact us if you have a group that would like a tour.

Wishing everyone a very happy holiday season and successful New Year!
Adaptive Gardens has had a wonderful year full of growth. Students have learned new things and found new abilities within themselves. Our many thanks go out to our volunteers, donors, grant committees and teachers who have made this program a great success!

Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace. –May Sarton

Delayed gratification isn’t at the top of anyone’s list, but it is a great concept to learn early in life. There was no complaining from the students as they worked hard to get strawberry plants in the ground. From the strawberries planted Fall 2010, students identified runners from the mother plant and transplanted them to another row. Although they are only seeing green leaves now, they look forward to harvesting & eating the scrumptious red berries in the spring!
Besides the green of the strawberry plants, students have been harvesting arugula & collard greens. They continue watering and tending the Napa cabbage, mesclun greens, carrots, pak choy, spinach and broccoli in hopes to harvest in the next couple of weeks. Students learn how to correctly identify the leaf they are harvesting, how to make a proper cut, and how to rinse, package and weigh the produce.

In another anticipation of the spring season, students are preparing an herb bed along the garden pathway. By planting herbs now, the plants are able to establish their root systems before the first flush of spring green.

Special thanks to Our Local Foods employees, Nate Davis & Lee Leland! Nate has brought us a mobile hoop house for 12 new hens, as well as, a rooster. The rooster will be housed with two hens for an experiment in brooding. Lee as always helped us get our irrigation flowing again for our strawberry plants.

After a great summer, Fall classes have started again. Students have seeded broccoli, pumpkin, pak choy, squash and kale. They will be adding spinach, arugula, mesclun mix and a variety of other good-for-you veggies in the coming weeks. The chickens had a close call recently. A pine tree fell between the two houses, but everyone was ok! The students continue to feed and tend the chickens. Thelma is even becoming so comfortable that she will eat out of a bowl in students’ hands!

This year brings exciting new additions to the Adaptive Gardens on Thornhill Farm! Through a wonderful grant from the Coastal Community Foundation/Webb-Croft Endowment, AGL was able to add concrete paths that encompass the raised beds. Now students who use wheelchairs will be able to continue watering, weeding and harvesting even after rain. We are honored to have been chosen for the grant and look forward to the ability of increased participation for many students!
Complementing the pathways are height extenders on the raised beds. Anonymous donors and volunteers came over the summer and increased the height of the beds in order to allow better access for wheelchair users and students with limited mobility.
We are very excited to have had these amendments to the Adaptive Gardens and plan to continue increasing raised beds for better accessibility.
Mark your calendar for Adaptive Gardens’ 3rd annual Local Music on the Farm fundraiser on Sunday, October 2nd from 1-5pm. Proceeds benefit children with disabilities and special needs involved in programming through AGL. Sol Driven Train will be playing & many other great local musicians. Come join us for a relaxing, music filled afternoon on the farm! Tickets available on the website & at the Farm Store on Thornhill Farm.

Adaptive Gardens will host the 3rd annual Local Music on the Farm fundraiser on Sunday, October 2nd from 1-5pm.
Sol Driven Train and many other local musicians will play the event. A silent auction will be held with beautiful artwork, gift certificates to local restaurants and hotels and many more great items.
A Lowcountry Boil and Chili will fill your belly as you relax on the farm for an afternoon filled with music and fun!

Suggested donations for the event can be made by entering the appropriate amount and clicking Donate Now.
Family (maximum six people): $50
Individual: $20
Child: 13 & under: $10
Free: Two years old and under
(Please, print your receipt for entry to the event)

All proceeds benefit children with disabilities and special needs involved in Adaptive Gardens of the Lowcountry’s horticultural therapy programming.

We look forward to seeing you!

So the school year has come to a close, but the summer is just beginning!

At a year end party and scavenger hunt, students had the chance to recap all they have learned this Spring semester as well as get a little taste of  the fruits of their labor.    Jodie designed a scavenger hunt that tested their retention of gardening skills learned this year and as a special treat cooked for them at the end.  Students tasted zucchini, squash, strawberries and eggs from the chickens they care for.

Summer programming will continue with participants at The Cooper Center, The Joy School, Windwood Farm and Wando High School students will continue tending the gardens at 17 North Roadside Kitchen.

We look forward to a summer filled with learning and good eats!

After 2 years of working under the auspices of Coastal Community Foundation’s guidance, Adaptive Gardens has now received our 501c3 designation. Many thanks to all who have helped us achieve this great milestone! To contribute to our ongoing efforts, please use the donation form below.

Many Thanks!!

Leslie & the Adaptive Gardens Team