What's New at the Barn…

Spring is in the Air, It's Garden Time!  At HealthBarn USA we are all about sharing important information about living a healthy-lifestyle, so you too can bring these exciting concepts home to your family!  This month we are all about planting HealthBarn USA's vegetable garden, so if you've been on the fence about starting your own home garden, it's time to get in the game because it's cool to grow and cook your own food.  And, it saves money, too!  According to the National Gardening Association, a 600-square-foot garden yields $600 worth of produce for an investment of $70 -- WOW!

Don't despair about animals munching on all of your hard work, here are some basic tips on how to get your garden started at home whether it's in the ground or in a container -- it's worth the effort!

• Pick a sunny spot!  Choose an area that gets a lot of direct sunlight throughout the day and has easy access to a water source. Veggies need at least six hours of direct sunlight!
• Compost.  The soil is the key ingredient when it comes to healthy plants and healthy people, so use compost or an organic fertilizer. To compost,dig a hole in your yard in a sunny place, add fruit and vegetable scraps, grass clippings, tea, coffee grinds and egg shells daily, turn it using a shovel or pitch fork, and you'll have healthy soil in no time! 
  
• Plant what you like to eat.  Everyone always asks us, "What should I plant?" Start with what you eat!  We begin by reviewing our favorite seasonal recipes loaded with veggies first and then, we take an inventory of our seeds to determine what we need to purchase for spring, summer and fall plantings.
• Know your zone!  Check for your region in the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone to get a good idea about what crops grow best in your zone by clicking here.
• Buy seeds & seedlings.  Purchasing high quality seeds is important for germination because there is nothing worse than planting seeds and watching nothing come up!  We recommend organic seeds from Johnny's Selected Seeds and heirloom seeds (and a variety of unique plants) from Seed Savers Exchange.  For seedlings, it's important to buy from reputable local nurseries (preferably one that grows their seedlings from seed) because it minimizes the risk of diseased plants. 
  
• Garden gear.  The essentials include a shovel (large and small), hoe, rake, gloves and a hat (for sun and heat protection).  Make sure to get enough "stuff" at the right sizes, so the whole family can participate.
• Have fun!  Remember, the garden doesn't have to be perfect -- just get started, enjoy getting dirty and being active with friends, family and neighbors!
  

Interested in getting dirty and learning more?  Grown-Ups Only!  Vegetable Gardening 101 Workshop, Saturday, May 7 from 8:30 - 12:30 pm:  We are hosting a green thumb-proof, comprehensive organic vegetable gardening workshop led by Stacey Antine, MS, RD for grown-ups!  You will learn hands-on, how to create a thriving produce garden that includes location, animal protection, soil, compost, irrigation, seeds, seedlings and tasty, nutritious recipes that will make your edible garden irresistible!  Lunch and all supplies will be included.  Only 3 spots left, please click here for more information and enroll by contacting us at 201-891-2066. 

Upcoming Programs:

Best of Bergen Summer Camp 2011: Voted editor's pick and Best of Bergen by (201) magazine, it's the ultimate "farm-to-fork" experience!  HealthBarn USA is the only farm summer camp program in Bergen County, NJ at Abma's Farm for children, ages 5-12; and now in Westchester, NY at Hilltop Hanover Farm & Environmental Center.  During the day from 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. campers indulge in delicious, nutritious food and the healthy lifestyle that goes with it!  They are active by rotating between growing, harvesting, and cooking their own hand-grown organic fruits and vegetables, learning about nutrition and environmental science through games and enjoying activities in creative arts and crafts, nature, yoga and sports.  Parents are psyched because a nutritious breakfast, lunch and snack are provided everyday (we accommodate for allergies!). Transportation is available for children coming from New York City.

Summer Seedlings: The Seedlings, ages 3-5 have an action-filled summer ahead that includes planting and eating organic fruits and vegetables, helping to cook healthy recipes and doing all natural arts & crafts.  The New York Times featured HealthBarn USA in "No Yucks Allowed." The reporter, Kelly Feeney, learned a lot about growing vegetables and cooking healthy recipes during and found out that healthy eaters thrive at HealthBarn USA!  We are enrolling for the Summer Seedlings program being held weekly in the afternoons from 4-5:30 pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays for 5 or 10-weeks. Click here for more information.

If you are a parent who wants:
- Healthy kids who are adventurous eaters,
- Nutritious and great tasting ideas and recipes for what to serve and eat 24/7,
- Green kids who grow and eat their own organic food,
- Simple, fun-to-take steps that will get your family to a happier, healthier place - from a leading voice in family nutrition, come spend the summer with us at the barn!

Don't delay, please click here for more information and enrollment forms. 

School Enrichment Programs:

Ready to make a difference in kids' lives?  Partner with HealthBarn USA through our enrichment programs because we make a difference in empowering children to make healthy choices. Our hands-on approach and unique curricula is not only one-of-kind, but also extremely effective in exciting kids and families about making good choices for their health.  Click here for the list of our 2011 offerings in school and at the barn. Here are some highlights:

NEWS Flash!  HealthBarn USA School Assembly Returns to Lake Tahoe, California, May 31-June 1, 2011 -- WOW!  We are heading west again to visit schools in the Lake Tahoe School District, stay tuned for photos in our next newsletter and make sure to tell any friends or relatives in the area to come by and say hi!  For more information about out-of-state assemblies or about the grant details, please contact Molly Fallon at 201-891-2066 or molly@healthbarnusa.com.

Healthy Lifestyle School Assembly: Engage your student body in HealthBarn USA's "Try It -- You'll Like It," one-of-a-kind, hands on healthy-lifestyle experience that empowers children of all ages to try new foods that are allergen free, be active, participate in family meals and much more.  Kids can't get enough of this fun and interactive tasting experience that leaves principals, teachers, parent volunteers and parents at home in awe as kids tempt their taste buds with fruit, vegetables, edamame, cereal without added sugar and so much more!  Click here read the latest testimonials from other schools.

HealthBarn USA School Assembly on YouTube.  If you haven't experienced the assembly LIVE yet, click here to watch the team and kids in action.  Click here for more information about how to schedule an assembly at your school or other organization, please click here to contact Molly.

School & Scout Healthy-Lifestyle Field Trips: With nutrition education being a hot topic in schools among administrators, children, the PTO/PTA and parents, our hands-on, one-of-kind field trip is a must-do! The field trip curriculum meets the NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards, 2.1, 2.2, 2.5, 2.6, 5.4, 5.8, 5.10, 8.2 and 9.2. And, the HealthBarn USA experience is a perfect supplement to school curricula.

We are booking school trips for fall 2011 -- don't miss out on this one-of-kind experience.  Click here for more information.

We're booking for scout field trips too (only a few dates left), for fall 2011 – scout leaders are booking early, so if you are interested in taking a field trip, please click here for more information.

Workshops & After-School Enrichment Programs: The workshop format for classes of 25 students during Wellness, Science, Health or Environmental Days are age-appropriate and cover a variety of topics, click here for more information. Our after-school enrichment programs are very popular because they are fun and create a positive learning experience as an extension to the school day with a hot topic for families. We are currently offering programs at Colonial Road Elementary School, Frankin Lakes, NJ and just completed spring programs at Gerrard Berman Day School, Oakland, NJ and High Mountain Road, Franklin click herefor more information.

Private One-on-One Nutrition Counseling for children, teens and adults. To schedule a one-on-one appointment with Stacey Antine, MS, RD, in New Jersey or New York City, please click here to find out more. 

We are giving you double thumbs up for making the health of you and your family a priority!  We'd love to hear your healthy living stories, please click here  to email us! Thank you for reading about HealthBarn USA.  Want to learn more.. visit us at the barn!