Harvesting History Summer Scrapbook
- Friends of Clermont
- Sep 12
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 16
We’ve had a bountiful summer! From sizeable harvests to summer camp to county fair blue ribbons, it’s not a summer we’ll soon forget. Check out our summer scrapbook below.
What did our garden grow?
This summer, our volunteers harvested: artisanal salad greens (iceberg, marvel of the four seasons, arugula, Swiss chard, French sorrel, and endive), baby kohlrabi, tomatoes (sungold and Brandywine cherry), peas (sugar snap and snow), potatoes, peppers (Italian frying and mixed hot), squash blossoms, a variety of fresh herbs (Genovese and Thai basil, Mexican mint tarragon, bronze fennel fronds, stevia, spearmint, peppermint, French thyme, rosemary, sage, lavender, lemon balm, and Chinese flowering garlic chives), and an array of edible flowers (nasturtium, dahlias, Johnny-Jump-Ups [violas], calendula, borage, and snapdragons).
We’ve donated 30 pounds of fresh produce to food banks in Columbia and Greene counties, including the Germantown Community Cupboard and the Salvation Army Food Pantry in Hudson. That’s 85 pints of assorted fresh produce, 48 heads of artisanal salad greens, 31 bunches of chives and salad mix, and 22 bouquets of flowers!
None of this would have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Horticultural Technician Leslie Reed, Outdoor Education Assistant Lila McPherson, Horticultural Aid Tara Barrett, Parks and Recreation Aide Jackson Tilley, Friends of Clermont Advancement Manager Emily Meyer, and volunteer Lorrie Renz.
We were also fortunate to have the help of five student volunteers (James Braine, Rowan Braine, Dan Crimmins, Catalina Wheeler, and Sal Roberts) this summer from Tech Valley High School, who helped harvest and package our impressive summer harvest.
If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out a volunteer form.
If you or someone you know needs food assistance, please visit the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York to find your nearest food pantry or soup kitchen.
Summer camp
Every summer, the Harvesting History program partners with Operation Unite’s 4-H Freedom Farmers program, Red Hook Central School District Summer Camp program, and Hudson Department of Youth’s Camp Oakdale. Thanks to our program partners, we were able to reach 223 campers and nearly 70 teen counselors this year. Participants in both programs spent the summer learning a variety of garden-based activities, including how to make homemade ice cream using natural food dyes and flavorings, how to grow microgreens, create their own marbled bookmarks and macrame plant hangers, and perhaps the highlight of the summer, made smoothies using our bike-powered blender!
Under the guidance of Horticulturalist Leslie Reed and Outdoor Education Assistant Lila McPherson, participants in the 4-H Freedom Farmers program entered their own projects in the Columbia County Fair. We even had one project win Best in Show and went on to compete in the State Fair!
What’s next for Harvesting History?
Our garden volunteers are hard at work, harvesting our late summer crops and planting our fall seedlings. Be sure to check our social media to see our harvests throughout the fall season!
Want to support Harvesting History?
When the Harvesting History program first began over a decade ago, it served 100 children. Today, it serves over 1,000 youth, seniors, and adults throughout Columbia and Greene counties. Consider donating to ensure that this wonderful program can continue to provide engaging educational programming for all ages, free of charge.
