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Join Us on October 6th for the Katie’s Krops Dinner

2 October 2022
Stacy Stagliano
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Categories: Latest News, Our Dinners & Meal Distributions

Join us for our next Katie’s Krops To-Go Dinner on Thursday, October 6th. Our dinner service will start at 4:30 pm at Summerville Baptist Church, 417 Central Avenue, Summerville, South Carolina. We will continue to serve to-go meals drive-up style. We kindly ask that you follow the guidance of our parking lot volunteers to keep traffic flowing and maintain safety for guests and volunteers.

The dinner is always free. Our goal is to ensure that our neighbors have access to the healthy meals they need. We will serve between 550 and 600 meals per dinner.

If you reside in Summerville and do not have transportation, please contact Delivery@KatiesKrops.com, and we will make every effort to deliver meals to you. Please include your full name, address, phone number, and the number of meals you need. Requests must be placed two days in advance of the dinner.

September 29th Katie’s Krops & Potential Weather Impact

26 September 2022
Stacy Stagliano
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Categories: Latest News, Our Dinners & Meal Distributions

We will host a Katie’s Krops Dinner on Thursday. We are keeping a close watch on the impact of Hurricane Ian and the timing of the effects on the Lowcountry. At the moment, we will move forward with the dinner and deliveries as planned. Our top priority is the safety of our volunteers, delivery drivers, and guests. We will keep you posted on any changes we need to make due to heavy rains.

If you reside in Summerville and do not have transportation or are unable to attend for medical reasons, please email Delivery@KatiesKrops.com, and we will make every effort to deliver meals to you. Please include your full name, address, phone number, and the number of meals you need. All requests must be directed to this email address (we cannot honor requests sent via social media and messages). It is important to note we cannot accommodate day-of requests. You must request delivery at least two days before each dinner. Our dinners run on volunteer power and a great deal of planning. Thank you for submitting your requests early.

Ethan Pappas – West Carrollton garden growing, giving back to community.

29 August 2022
admin
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Categories: Latest News, Media & Publications, Meet Our Growers

WEST CARROLLTON, Ohio (WDTN) — A garden behind West Carrollton High School is helping students grow while also giving back to the community. 

West Carrollton Computer Lab Coordinator Judi Brooks is the green thumb behind the Pirate Patch Garden, guiding its growth.

“I’m here pretty much every day doing something–if it’s just spraying for a squash bug or looking at what’s going on,” says Judi. “I’m always outside.”

Stemming from an idea to connect with nature, the first seeds were planted roughly seven years ago outside of the high school. Judi and another teacher started the garden to show students where their food comes from. 

“I had an interest in gardening and foraging,” says 10th grader Ethan Pappas. “I saw Judi working in the garden one day, just walking by, and I wanted to help do that.”

The Pirate Patch Garden started with a small “L” shape, first producing tomatoes. It’s since grown every year, now producing more than 1,000 pounds of food.

“We have pumpkins. We have kale, onions, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes of course,” lists Judi. 

Roughly 20 students help with maintaining the garden. 

“I started to pick some of the carrots, and I fell in love with it, and it was so fun,” says 7th grader Connie Pappas, who volunteers in the garden. “On some days I’m ready to get dirty, and I don’t even go out with gloves.” 

Grant money from the nonprofit Katie’s Krops helps keep the garden growing. 

When crops are ripe, they’re harvested, weighed, and then donated. This year, the fresh food is going to West Carrollton’s food pantry. 

“This is how we’re supposed to live our lives to give back to others. I’m a very service-oriented person, and I like sharing my knowledge, but I’m a very earthy person,” states Judi. “My mom was a farm girl. I lived in West Carrollton my entire life. My grandmother was very much a plant person. But it’s just who I am. I mean I just feel so comfortable and so relaxed and I want the students to be able to experience too.”

The produce is taken to West Carrollton’s food pantry on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

September Katie’s Krops Dinners

26 August 2022
Stacy Stagliano
No comments
Categories: Latest News, Our Dinners & Meal Distributions

We will host two Katie’s Krops Dinners in September on:

Thursday, September 8th

Thursday, September 29th

Our dinners are held at Summerville Baptist Church, 417 Central Avenue in Summerville, South Carolina. We serve to-go meals drive-thru style. We kindly ask that you follow the guidance of our parking lot volunteers to keep traffic flowing and maintain safety for guests and volunteers. There is never a charge for our meals.

Dinner service starts at 4:30 pm and ends at 6 pm or when all meals have been distributed, whichever comes first. There has been a rise in the number of people attending our dinners, so we recommend arriving early. We will prepare and share 600+ meals.

If you reside in Summerville and do not have transportation or are unable to attend for medical reasons, please get in touch with Delivery@KatiesKrops.com, and we will make every effort to deliver meals to you. Please include your full name, address, phone number, and the number of meals you need. It is important to note we cannot accommodate day-of requests. You must request delivery at least two days before each dinner. Our dinners run on volunteer power and a great deal of planning. Thank you for submitting your requests early.

Fall Gardening Classes – Registration is now open

23 August 2022
Stacy Stagliano
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Categories: Kids Gardening Tips, Latest News

UPDATE~ All sections of our Fall Gardening Classes are currently full. If you would like to be placed on a waitlist, please email Stacy@KatiesKrops.com.

We are excited to offer fall gardening classes in our flagship garden for adults and children! Learn how to grow healthy fresh vegetables at your home. We will provide the instruction and supplies needed to get started. These classes are open to families new to Katie’s Krops who have not previously taken a gardening class with us. This class will be provided free of charge due to generous community support. Spaces are limited, and you must register to attend. The Summerville location and details will be shared when you register for a class.

These introductory classes will focus on how to start your vegetable garden planning for the fall. We will cover how to decide where to grow your garden, layout your garden, different materials you can use for your garden build, choose the right vegetables for fall/winter planting, and take care of your garden. This class will be a fundamental overview.

Adult Classes~

Class #1 ~ Wednesday, September 7th – 6 pm

To sign up, please follow this link- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054DA5AE29A6FE3-fall1

Class #2 ~ Thursday, September 15th – 6 pm

To sign up, please follow this link- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054DA5AE29A6FE3-november4

Kid Class~

Class #3 ~ September 13th – 10:00 am to 11:30 am

To sign up, please follow this link- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054DA5AE29A6FE3-starting

  • While we love our gardening friends of all ages, attendance for this class is limited to registered children (K-5th grade) and a caregiver (attendance required).

Please note: Our classroom area is 100% outdoors and weather-dependent classes. Therefore, we ask that everyone bring water and wear closed-toe shoes (i.e., sneakers/tennis shoes) for their safety. 

August Katie’s Krops Dinners

4 August 2022
Stacy Stagliano
No comments
Categories: Latest News, Our Dinners & Meal Distributions

We will host two Katie’s Krops Dinners in August on:

Thursday, August 11th

Thursday, August 25th

Our dinners are held at Summerville Baptist Church, 417 Central Avenue in Summerville, South Carolina. We serve to-go meals drive-thru style. We kindly ask that you follow the guidance of our parking lot volunteers to keep traffic flowing and maintain safety for guests and volunteers. There is never a charge for our meals.

Dinner service starts at 4:30 pm and ends at 6 pm or when all meals have been distributed, whichever comes first. There has been a rise in the number of people attending our dinners, so we recommend arriving early. We will prepare and share 600+ meals.

If you reside in Summerville and do not have transportation or are unable to attend for medical reasons, please contact Delivery@KatiesKrops.com, and we will make every effort to deliver meals to you. Please include your full name, address, phone number, and the number of meals you need.

Sponsorship Opportunities to Help Katie’s Krops Grow

15 July 2022
Stacy Stagliano
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Categories: Latest News

We currently have three sponsorship opportunities to help support Katie’s Krops
and our efforts to grow a healthy end to hunger, one vegetable garden at a time.


Sponsor Fall Garden Classes-
When inflation is high, everyone pays the price. However, research shows
that lower-income families suffer the most. Individuals and families across our
community see the impact of inflation at the grocery store daily, with many now
struggling to put food on their tables every night. We are blessed to live in a
climate where we can grow year-round. We have grown a fall and winter garden
at Katie’s Krops for thirteen years, and now we want to teach others how to grow
their own food this fall and winter!
With your support, we will launch a fall gardening program taught by our experts
to provide individuals and families with the tools and knowledge to grow their
own food. In addition, we are connecting with other local non-profits, such as
Hearts for Summerville, to help those at risk for food insecurity learn from
our fall gardening classes. There will be classes for children and adults, and
we intend to provide the supplies necessary to start and grow a garden to
attendees of every course.
A sponsorship of $1,750 will make this program possible.


Sponsor the Katie’s Krops 12th Anniversary Dinner-
For 11 years, we have hosted free garden-to-table dinners. When the pandemic
hit, we tripled our efforts, and that work continues today. What makes our
dinners extra special in the produce we use in the meals is grown in our gardens
by our fantastic youth growers. The meals are prepared and served by youth
volunteers under the director of our fantastic head chef Ryan. On October 6 th, we
will celebrate twelve years of Katie’s Krops Dinners! We are seeking a sponsor
that will allow us to create a wonderful celebration for our guests.
A sponsorship of $1,600 will make the anniversary dinner possible.

Sponsor our 2023 Gardens
We have supported over one hundred youth-based Katie’s Krops gardens,
growing across the United States for twelve years. We support our existing
Katie’s Krops gardens every year while welcoming new Katie’s Krops growers to
the family. There are three ways to sponsor the 2023 Katie’s Krops
Growers:
-New Grower Sponsor- $4,500 will allow us to welcome twelve new youth
growers in 2023.
-A Silver Sponsorship of $6,000 will allow us to continue to support twelve
existing Katie’s Krops Gardens.
-A Gold Sponsorship of $12,000 will allow us to continue to support twenty-four
existing youth Katie’s Krops Growers.
-A Platnum Sponsorship of $25,000 will allow us to continue to support fifty
Katie’s Krops gardens growing across the country.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or have more questions, please contact Katie and Katie@KatiesKrops.com.

Join Us for Our July Katie’s Krops Dinners

5 July 2022
Stacy Stagliano
No comments
Categories: Latest News, Our Dinners & Meal Distributions

We will host two Katie’s Krops Dinners in July on Thursday, July 21st, and Thursday, July 28th. Our dinners are held at Summerville Baptist Church, 417 Central Avenue in Summerville, South Carolina. We serve to-go meals drive-thru style. We kindly ask that you follow the guidance of our parking lot volunteers to keep traffic flowing and maintain safety for guests and volunteers. There is never a charge for our meals.

Dinner service starts at 4:30 pm and ends at 6 pm or when all meals have been distributed, whichever comes first. There has been a rise in the number of people attending our dinners, so we recommend arriving early. We will prepare and share 600+ meals.

If you reside in Summerville and do not have transportation or are unable to attend for medical reasons, please contact Delivery@KatiesKrops.com and we will make every effort to deliver meals to you. Please include your full name, address, phone number, and the number of meals you need.

Join Us for Our June 30th Katie’s Krops Dinner

23 June 2022
Stacy Stagliano
No comments
Categories: Latest News, Our Dinners & Meal Distributions

Join us for our next Katie’s Krops To-Go Dinner on Thursday, June 30th. Our dinner service will start at 4:30 pm at Summerville Baptist Church, 417 Central Avenue, Summerville, South Carolina. We will continue to serve to-go meals drive-up style. We kindly ask that you follow the guidance of our parking lot volunteers to keep traffic flowing and maintain safety for guests and volunteers.

The dinner is always free. Our goal is to ensure that our neighbors have access to the healthy meals they need. We will serve between 550 and 600 meals per dinner.

If you reside in Summerville and do not have transportation please contact Delivery@KatiesKrops.com and we will make every effort to deliver meals to you. Please include your full name, address, phone number, and the number of meals you need.

With the cost of everything rising, we see an influx of new people who need assistance. When school lets out for the summer we anticipate many more families needing assistance. Our cost per dinner has increased 39%. We would greatly appreciate your support to be able to continue to serve our community. If you would like to sponsor a dinner, purchase to-go boxes, or make a donation of any size, we would be extremely grateful. Feel free to contact Katie@KatiesKrops.com.

Watering Your Garden in the Summer Heat

14 June 2022
Stacy Stagliano
No comments
Categories: Kids Gardening Tips, Latest News

Our Master Gardener, Lisa, shares important tips for watering your garden in the summer heat. With the heat wave we are experiencing right now and throughout the rest of summer, keeping an eye on our gardens is very important.  The extreme heat will cause plant stress.  The big thing to remember is to resist the urge to overwater because that could introduce other problems to your vegetable garden.  Look to your plants for obvious signs if they are in need of additional water, one being extreme wilting and not recovering from it by morning.

If your plants are well-established, they will definitely be more robust.  Their leaf canopy will help to shade the soil, and, if needed, you can also spread mulch to help keep the soil cooler.  If you decide to use mulch, please remember to keep it a few inches away from the base of the plant so the water will be able to directly reach the roots of the plant. 

To also help in conserving water, make sure you are watering at the soil line at the base of each plant.  This watering style ensures that the plants are receiving the water directly, that you are watering more effectively, and that the leaf canopy is not blocking the water (which can occur if watering overhead).

The main rule of thumb for watering vegetable gardens is simple:  vegetables need an inch of water per week in the summertime, whether it’s provided by you or Mother Nature. (Use a rain gauge to help determine the amount of rain you have received each week). This converts roughly to six gallons per square yard per week.  This inch of water will wet the root zone to a depth of 6 to 8 inches.