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<DIV id=breadcrumbs><A href="http://www.hmbreview.com/">Homepage</A> » <A href="http://www.hmbreview.com/articles/2010/10/27/news/">News</A> </DIV><!--p class="credits">
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<H1>HEAL grows back after funding famine</H1>
<H3>By Mark Noack [ <A href="mailto:mark@hmbreview.com">mark@hmbreview.com</A>
]</H3>
<P class=credits><BR>Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, Oct 27, 2010 -
12:17:15 pm PDT </P>
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<DIV class=post>With mud-caked boots and a sunbaked face, farm instructor Chris
Beetley-Hagler cupped his hands to his face and sounded off his self-devised owl
call: “Oooooty-Oop!”<BR><BR>Two dozen replies hooted back:
“Oooooty-Oop!”<BR><BR>Of course, no owls were around on a sunny Wednesday
morning. Instead, it was an entire class of Hatch Elementary fourth-graders, out
to visit Cabrillo Farms for the day.
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<DIV class=slideshow-block><IMG src="http://images.townnews.com/hmbreview.com/content/articles/2010/10/27/news/doc4cc86b2c3bf49566285837.jpg" width=300><BR><EM>Hatch Elementary School students from Melinda Nokes'
fourth grade class visit the Heal / County Farm in El Granada for an
all-day Outside Science Lab learning about pumpkin pollination with
instructor Chris Beetley-Hagler.</EM>
</DIV><BR></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Habitually kicking at weeds with his
boot as he talked, Beetley-Hagler taught the students an exercise about the
birds and the bees, choosing a few student volunteers to play the role of
pollinators. Getting their instructions, the pollinator-students raced across
the dirt field to grab two classmates (representing the male and female pollen).
The teams of students were working together to hoist pumpkins, trying to be the
first to carry it across the farm field.<BR><BR>“Come on you guys, we’ve got to
create this pumpkin!” he cheered. “We’ve got to save Halloween!”<BR><BR>It was a
lesson for both the students and the farm instructor, who was testing out
material for the first time with a full group of visitors.<BR><BR>Out on a field
trip, the students were the first crop of young visitors at the donated Moss
Beach farmland, now being run by the Coastside HEAL project. HEAL, an acronym
for health, environment, agriculture and learning, is running a hands-on
laboratory on the donated farmland to teach students about sustainable and
healthy practices.<BR><BR>The HEAL program has been available to the Coastside
schools for years, but the program is rapidly expanding this year with more
funding, new staff and promises of more cropland from local farmers. Today the
program is poised to invite schools across San Mateo County for Coastside field
trips, thanks to a $75,000 grant from the county health system.<BR><BR>That’s
good news for HEAL organizers, especially because at this time last year the
local program faced major budget reductions and had to pull back its operations
at Coastside schools. After that low point, the agriculture nonprofit has
bounced back and reports newfound success in winning competitive grants and
local contributions.<BR><BR>“I don’t want to give the impression we’re flush
with cash … but the idea of what we’re doing seems to be lifting off,” said Kim
Borick, HEAL executive director. “So many people now support our idea at
HEAL.”<BR><BR>Late last year, the nonprofit won a $25,000 grant from the David
& Lucille Packard Foundation. This year, Moss Beach farmer David Lea donated
two acres of farmland for the program, and more farmers along the South Coast
are reportedly offering land for HEAL for similar education
projects.<BR><BR>Wearing an “I ♥ the Farm” cap, Hatch teacher Melinda Nokes said
the program tied in perfectly with her class studies in life
science.<BR><BR>“This is absolutely connected to our curriculum, and it gives
the kids a chance to appreciate where they live,” Nokes said, as she chomped on
an apple. “It makes their education experiential.”<BR><BR>The HEAL project
originally started at Hatch in 2005 and later expanded to Farallone View and El
Granada elementary schools. Over those years, successive classes of students
have learned the basics of agriculture by taking classes with HEAL instructors
and caring for crops planted in sections of the schoolyard.<BR><BR>A parent on
the field trip, Cindy Chong, recalled that her daughter was inspired to plant
pumpkins, herbs and other plants after learning the know-how at
Hatch.<BR><BR>Those programs in place at local schools remain on shaky funding,
said Borick.<BR><BR>HEAL has received new funding this year, but most of that
money can only go toward the new farm projects open to the entire county, not
individual schools. Now operating on a budget of about $250,000, HEAL can use
less than half that amount for local school programs. For local school projects,
HEAL remains reliant on donations from PTOs, parents or other community members.
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