Springfield Community Gardens

Springfield Community Gardens envisions a world where every city is filled with and surrounded by small healthy farms. To learn about our Farmer Incubator program and get involved, contact us at springfieldcommunitygardens.org

We are proud to support farmers, by connecting them with programs like this one. If you would like to connect with a local USDA office you can email [email protected]

Zero Waste: Sautéd Broccoli Stalk Strips! These crunchy, noodle-like ribbons were cut using a potato peeler. Toss into a skillet with a small amount of oil, and sauté for about 4 minutes until tender. Easy, delicious and a hit with little ones! The stalk from broccoli plant has the same amount of vitamin C, potassium, B vitamins, folate, calcium and Iron as the flowering head.

It’s squash season! Did you know you can roast squash seeds, just as you do pumpkin seeds? Scoop the seeds from the squash, smear with a little butter, or oil and roast face down on a cookie sheet until lightly browned and fragrant. You can do the same with the seeds on a separate cookie sheet doubling down on snacks for later!

Beets are rich in naturally occurring nitrates, as are cabbages and radishes. Unlike the unhealthy artificial nitrates found in processed meat, these nitrates can be beneficial because they help poor blood flow, which contributes to age-related cognitive decline. Older adults who ate a nitrate-rich diet got a boost in blood flow to the frontal lobe of their brainsan area commonly associated with dementiaaccording to a study published in the journal Nitric Oxide. Nitrate-rich foods can also help people with hypertension by widening blood vessels and aiding blood flow.

SCG farmers sowed winter grains then covered the soil to keep in the moisture and prevent erosion.

Spaghetti squash is in season! It makes an excellent healthy addition to any stir fry, pasta dish, or as a replacement of pasta. They are rich in fiber, vitamins A, C, beta carotene, and omega 3s. We love this million dollar spaghetti squash recipe: https://radicalstrength.ca/baked-million-dollar-spaghetti-/

Assistant Farmer Liz Carney prepping high tunnels at Amanda Belle’s farm for first crop!

There are more than 100 different varieties of sweet potatoes in many different colors and sizes. It’s a root vegetable that is known as a tuber. They have many vitamins and minerals including, vitamin A, vitamin C, Potassium, manganese, vitamin B6, B5, and vitamin E. They can help to prevent a vitamin A deficiency by providing beta carotene which is important for absorbing vitamin A. They can help improve blood sugar by decreasing blood glucose and bad cholesterol (LDL), and... reduce oxidative damage which can lower your risk for developing cancers due to the antioxidants within the sweet potatoes. When comparing sweet potatoes with regular potatoes they are very similar in macronutrients but sweet potatoes have more fiber and antioxidants so overall they are considered healthier for you. There are so many ways you can incorporate sweet potatoes into the diet. Sweet potatoes are very versatile and can easily be added into any dish. You can roast them in the oven and make fries, make potato chips, add them to a soup, or whip them up to make mashed potatoes. You can even use them in desserts! There’s no doubt that sweet potatoes are an important staple that people should include in their diet! Written by: Micole Klover, CoxCollege

When you think of a radish, you typically imagine a bright red color, but have you ever seen a radish that shines bright violet? Introducing the purple Daikon radish. The Daikon radish is normally available in the spring and fall seasons. In terms of nutritional value, the Daikon radish has very few shortcomings. The purple Daikon is a great source of fiber and vitamin C, especially when eaten raw. This type of radish also contains vitamin B6, folate, and minerals such as K, Ca, Mg, and iodine. It’s leafy greens contain a significant amount of vitamin C as well. If you can get your hands on this product while its in season, it will make an excellent addition to your diet. Usually, you can find Daikons in salads slaws, sushi and on sandwiches! -Dietetic Intern, Andy Chen

With this colder weather, the carrots are really taking off at our SCG Market Garden. The seasons are changing and it’s beautiful to take part in eating seasonal produce. What is your favorite Fall Crop?

As the colder weather rolls in, we're sad to see some of our favorite food like tomatoes and cucumbers go, but we're also experiencing great germination with seeds for vegetables we can't wait to grow! Hello spinach, lettuce and swiss chard! When the frost comes, we can also protect our peppers with caterpillar tunnels and extend our harvest. - Kaitlin Hewitt SCG Farmer Assistant If you’re interested in getting started farming we can help connect you with the FSA! There are... loans available to new and beginning farmers from the FSA. From the FSA’s website: The USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes and guarantees loans and provides credit counseling and supervision to farmers and ranchers who are temporarily unable to obtain private, commercial credit. These may be beginning farmers who can't qualify for conventional loans because of insufficient net worth, or established farmers who have suffered financial setbacks from natural disasters. These loans are tailored to a producer's needs and may be used to buy farmland and finance agricultural production. If you would like to learn more about USDA programs you can reach out to SCG Food Hub Manager Rachael at [email protected] See more

Chestnuts are ripening and the squirrels usually beat us to them so we are harvesting them before they open and allowing them to ripen on the counter! Chestnuts can be grown right here in the Ozarks as a delicious food crop. To learn more about growing Chestnuts in Missouri: https://extension.missouri.edu/af1007/

Urban Foraging! Ginkgo trees are starting to turn from green to gold making it the perfect time for locating trees. Ginkgo Trees are the oldest living species of plant on earth (225 million years old). Historically, leaves have been traditionally steeped for a medicinal tea. An extract of the leaves was found to improve the immune system, and to protect the heart by clearing plaque from the arteries. Harvest: Gold Ginkgo leaves can be harvested from trees during the peak of ...the autumn season, after the leaves have achieved their delightful golden color. Many herbal traditions recommend the use of leaves at this point, when the medicinal properties of the plant are believed to be at their strongest. Alternatively, you can harvest green leaves for tea as well. Use: Crush 5-7 dried leaves, place in a cup, add boiling water and steep for at least 10 minutes to overnight.

Two of our SCG farmers tell their story here: