Spring 2010 Vol. 26 No.1

Articles:	The Mayan village of Graham Creek
Introduction Haiti Report Guatemala: Proyecto Nutricional Plenty Belize Books to Kids - Gulf Coast Kids to the Country More Than Warmth PLENTY BELIZE Accessible only by a two-hour hike from the main road, the remote Mayan village of Graham Creek is new to the GATE program and just recently started their garden.

When the Gate Program Manager, Abib Palma, visited early in 2010 they had completed the fencing and had started digging at the bottom of the slope (pictured in the photo right). Abib advised them to just build raised beds.  That would save some digging and reduce erosion during the heavy rains.

In the garden, from left, Graham Creek School Principal, Nicasio Cho, Abib Palma and Plenty Belize volunteer, Gary Boomgaardt.

Toledo School Garden Contest A Great Success!

      The 5th Annual Toledo Food Fair on March 24, 2010 was attended by thousands of students and hundreds of adults. The highlight of the fair was the school displays about the plants they researched and grew as part of the School Garden Cultural Contest, which was coordinated by Plenty Belize with funding from Onaway Trust.

Over 100 different types of plants were grown by the 16 primary schools that participated in the contest. Nine of these plants were traditional medicinal plants not used for food, and the other 89 plant types are eaten for food (some of which also have medicinal value). The students researched the plants, their use and roles in the 5 dominant cultures of Toledo, their nutritional value and their origins.

The contest encouraged schools to incorporate both gardening and culture into the classroom. Competition was lively, as the schools and students showed their excitement after all their hard work.  St Benedict’s School in PG Town won first place with excellent research and presentations on the 66 plants they had been growing. Midway Village School came in a close 2nd place with their work on 53 plant types. Barranco won 3rd place with the 37 plant types they grew and studied. Congratulations to the students, teachers and staff!

2012 Spring Bulletin

Introduction
Program Reports
Guatemala: Karen's Soy Nutrition Project (KSNP)
Guatemala: Agriculture Program
Pine Ridge: Garden Update
Plenty Belize: School Gardens Update
Gulf Coast Recovery
Books to Kids
Kids to the Country: Kwanza 2011
El Salvador
IMANI HOUSE, Liberia

• Plenty Belize
• The Farm Community