MSU Tollgate Farm November 2020MSU Tollgate Farm November 2020

Welcome to the New and Improved MSU Tollgate Newsletter!Welcome to the New and Improved MSU Tollgate Newsletter!

Upcoming EventsUpcoming EventsHoliday Lights at the FarmHoliday Lights at the Farm:December 17-21Holiday Wreath Pre-SaleHoliday Wreath Pre-Sale: November20thThanksgiving Produce BoxesThanksgiving Produce BoxesAvailableAvailable: Pick up November 24thEngaging Community Partners inEngaging Community Partners inYour School or Community GardenYour School or Community Garden:November 18, 4-5 pmGoat Story TimeGoat Story Time: November 20thCollaborative Teacher SupportCollaborative Teacher SupportNetworkNetwork: December 14thDeveloping Teen Leaders ThroughMSU Tollgate Farm StewardsPrograms: Winter 2021/Summer2021Virtual Goat ExperiencesVirtual Goat Experiences: All YearLong

News & AnnouncementsNews & AnnouncementsDecorators Needed for HolidaysDecorators Needed for HolidaysLights at the FarmLights at the FarmHoliday Lights Decorations BeginHoliday Lights Decorations BeginMSU Tollgate Farm Adapting to MeetMSU Tollgate Farm Adapting to MeetOur Educational Mission ThroughOur Educational Mission ThroughVirtual ProgrammingVirtual ProgrammingMSU Tollgate Virtual Farm School:MSU Tollgate Virtual Farm School:Learning Fresh From the FarmLearning Fresh From the FarmCSA Team Plants Cover CropsPAR Garden Donates to Feed theNeed NoviNovember Oakland County 4-HNovember Oakland County 4-HNewsletterNewsletter

Opportunities & SpotlightsOpportunities & SpotlightsStaff and Volunteer SpotlightsStaff and Volunteer SpotlightsNovember 2020November 2020

MSU Tollgate Farm NeedsMSU Tollgate Farm NeedsYour HelpYour HelpLike many community organizations, MSUTollgate relies on program and eventrevenue to make budget goals. With themany cancellations in 2020, it is likely MSUTollgate Farm will miss out on almost$600,000 - 50% of our annual operatingbudget - in revenue generated from ourprograms and events. MSU Extensionsupports our efforts through state andfederal funding, but even at the highestlevels there is uncertainty about ourfinancial future. We need your help toensure that the farm continues to operate in2021. Please consider donating to one ofour four giving funds. Questions can bedirected to Mike MathisMike Mathis, MSU Tollgate FarmDirector.

GIVE TO TOLLGATEGIVE TO TOLLGATE

Volunteer OpportunitiesVolunteer Opportunities

Upcoming EventsUpcoming Events

Holiday Lights at the FarmHoliday Lights at the Farm

Celebrate the holidays with a cruise at farm! Guests willenjoy holiday light displays built by volunteers andbusinesses from the comfort of their cars. Add to the funby pre-purchasing a cookie and cocoa to-go box foryour cruise. $10 a car and all proceeds will supporteducational programming.

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Holiday Wreath Pre-SaleHoliday Wreath Pre-Sale

Do not miss out on your chance to purchase a holidaywreath! Pre-sale is available now to reserve yourwreath. We only have 100 available. These 22"-24"diameter Douglas Fir wreaths will be available for pick-up on November 20th. All wreaths come with a MSUTollgate Farm wood ornament. Choose from atraditionally decorated wreath with a red bow and pinecones or an MSU themed wreath!

SHOP THE FARM STORESHOP THE FARM STORE

Thanksgiving Produce BoxesThanksgiving Produce BoxesAvailableAvailable

We are excited to announce that we will beoffering a Thanksgiving-themed meal kit thisyear! Each meal kit box contains producegrown by local farmers and step-by-stepdirections (with pictures!) to create a FallSalad, Mashed Potatoes, Garlic ButterGlazed Carrots, Herbed Stuffing, andPumpkin Pie. Includes a dozen dinner rollsand a focaccia loaf for the stuffing from a localbakery. Feeds up to 6 people.

Limited quantities available, so don't delay!Pick up at Tollgate between 11 AM - 1 PMand between 4:30 - 6:30 PM on TuesdayNovember, 24th.

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Engaging Community Partners inEngaging Community Partners inYour School or Community Garden:Your School or Community Garden:November 18, 4-5 pmNovember 18, 4-5 pm

Formal and non-formal educators, are youinterested in learning how to start and sustaina school garden? Join us Wednesday,November 18, 2020 at 4:00 pm EST for thelast in the Fall Virtual School GardenEducation Series. Novi Community SchoolDistrict’s Parkview Elementary has anamazing school garden, and teachers ReneeGantt, Carly Musa, and Tanya Jones willshare with us how they gained theinvolvement and support of significant localpartners to make the Parkview school gardena reality. With the help of strong communitypartnerships, this teaching team has beenable to connect classroom learning to lessonsin the outdoor living laboratory, help kids seefirst-hand where their food comes from, andengage students in place-based communityservice learning.

REGISTER HEREREGISTER HERE

Goat Story TimeGoat Story Time

Join us this Friday from 4-4:45 PM for our finalsession of Goat Story Time for the year. For thisweeks story we will being reading the beautifulstory, "Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story"by the award winning author Kevin Nobel Maillardand the captivating pictures were illustrated by thetalented Juana Martinez-Neal. This story is a loveletter written to the Indigenous nations and iscentered around 'fry bread', a simple food thatrepresents survival and resilience. Join us and thegoat doelings to learn about all of the things that"Fry Bread is..." and think about if there is a foodcomparable to fry bread in your family orcommunity?

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Collaborative Teacher SupportCollaborative Teacher SupportNetworkNetwork

Teachers and non-formal educators who wantto explore place-based learning during thisCovid-adapted school year, you’re invited tojoin the Collaborative Teacher SupportNetwork, a relaxing place for K-12 place-based educators who want to share ideasabout the potential for experiential learningand outdoor education for students during the

COVID-19 adapted school experience.Experience grounding activities that you canrepeat with your students. Explore ideas andbest practices for outdoor education whetherin-person, hybrid, or virtual formats. Thisvirtual conversation is hosted by your friendsfrom Michigan State University teachingfacilities across the state: Kellogg BiologicalStation, Tollgate Farm and Education Center,and the Upper Peninsula Research andExtension Center. When? December 14, 20203:00 PM to 4:15 PM Eastern Time (US andCanada) Questions? Email Ellen Koehler.Ellen Koehler.

REGISTER HEREREGISTER HERE

Developing Teen Leaders ThroughDeveloping Teen Leaders ThroughMSU Tollgate Farm StewardsMSU Tollgate Farm StewardsProgramProgram

Stewards Teen Leadership Program and aStewards Teen Leadership Program and aWinter Virtual Stewards Series (Ages 13-19)Winter Virtual Stewards Series (Ages 13-19)With the 2021 camp planning underway,watch for registration for the Stewards (15-19)and Stewards-in-Training Teen LeadershipPrograms soon. Also, watch for our WinterVirtual Stewards Series, designed to providea safe space for peer-to-peer conversation,resiliency, skill-building, and fun!Contact Ellen KoehlerEllen Koehler if you would like to joinother teens in leadership roles.

Stewards Sustainability Leadership Institute:Stewards Sustainability Leadership Institute:A Workforce and Career Pipeline for TeensA Workforce and Career Pipeline for Teens(Ages 15-19)(Ages 15-19)The Stewards Sustainability LeadershipInstitute (SSLI) is a workforce developmentprogram that provides 15-19 year-olds fromTollgate Farm a chance to gain career andworkforce preparation in fields related tosustainability. Through a tiered mentorshipmodel which includes professional adultvolunteers, MSU Extension faculty, andyounger campers, the 4-H teen stewards willexecute place-based capstone projects. Theprogram will place an emphasis on improvingthe communities where participants live,gaining mastery in important career skills,serving others through mentorship, and beinga leader at camp. This experience includes in-depth training, campus visits, a wildernesstrip (if in-person programs are possible), anda leadership role in the Tollgate summercamp program. Interested in becoming anSSLI steward? Email Ellen KoehlerEllen Koehler.

Virtual Goat ExperiencesVirtual Goat Experiences

Last time we checked goats can't use phones very well,

but luckily our MSU Tollgate staff can! Want a personalgoat encounter? Sign up for Goat to Meeting or GoatShout Outs!

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News & AnnouncementsNews & Announcements

Decorators Needed for Holidays Lights atDecorators Needed for Holidays Lights atthe Farmthe Farm

We welcome individuals, families, communityorganizations, businesses, non-profits, and governmentorganizations to select a display location at the farm todecorate in a theme of their choosing.

Decorators provide all their own decorations, lights,artificial or live cut trees, extension cords, and any othersupplies and will set up and take down their display inthe designated time frame. Event and lead sponsors areable to decorate a large display area of the farm, placetheir own signage within the display, and be cited inextensive event marketing. Interested in decorating?Click the button below to get more details.

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Holiday Light Decorations BeginHoliday Light Decorations Begin

We have been busy getting the farmdecorated for Holiday Lights at the Farm.Thank you to all the volunteers who came outto help. We cannot wait for our visitors to seeMSU Tollgate Farm decorated and lit up. Tosee more of our volunteers helping hanglights and decorations, click on the buttonbelow.

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MSU Tollgate Farm Adapting toMSU Tollgate Farm Adapting toMeet Our Educational MissionMeet Our Educational MissionThrough Virtual ProgrammingThrough Virtual Programming

How is MSU Tollgate Farm adapting to meetour mission through educational programming

during these difficult times? In response toschool closures and safety restrictions causedby the pandemic, we knew we needed to tryto help teachers and families by providingstudents with an opportunity to still connect toand learn from the place called Tollgate Farm.Tollgate has recreated school and communityprograms in an interactive virtual formatbringing the farm to students in new ways.One of these programs was a series calledThe Secret Life of Trees which met for fiveweekly 45 minute virtual interactive sessionsfilled with experiential learning andconnection for area kindergarten students.We visited students from the arboretum, theforest, the orchard, and the great DawnRedwood tree shown above. Check out theblogblog students followed along with and a videovideoabout this program.

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MSU Tollgate Virtual Farm School:MSU Tollgate Virtual Farm School:Learning Fresh From the FarmLearning Fresh From the Farm

A virtual classroom series with MSU TollgateFarm and Education Center is designed forstudents to explore the outdoor world withinteractive experiential hands-on learning.Aligned with literacy, math, and NextGeneration Science standards, programsutilize inquiry place-based learning and actionprojects. Life cycles and systemsinterdependency are revealed as studentsvirtually visit the fields, forest, greenhouse,and farm animals to investigate sciencephenomena taking place on the farm.Reservation for these interactive virtual seriesare being scheduled now for Februarythrough June 2021. Programs includeinteractive sessions, recorded virtual farmvisits, accompanying journal pages and blog.Choose from Winter on the Farm, MapleSugaring, Sheep to Sweater, Plants and TheirPartners, Follow the Nutrient Trail, and VetScience. Depending on the program, seriesare made up of 4 – 5 weekly sessions. ATollgate financial aid process is availableavailable. Forquestions or to tailor a program to meet yourteaching goals, please email Ellen KoehlerEllen Koehler.

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CSA Team Plants Cover CropsCSA Team Plants Cover Crops

Our cover crops are emerging! We and manyother farms, organic and conventional, usecover crops as a winter cover on our fields.Cover crops are crops grown for reasonsother than profit, such as building soil healthby fixing nitrogen and adding organic matter,reducing erosion and improving waterfiltration. Different mixes of cover cropvarieties can be used for different soil benefitsand times of year. We find that incorporatingcover crops into our yearly rotations is aneasy way to greatly increase soil fertility forthe next year! This year we were able to plantabout 30% of our fields with cover crops; theremaining fields either still in fall crops orhave been covered with a layer of leaf mulchto protect the top soil for the winter.

PAR Garden Donates to Feed thePAR Garden Donates to Feed theNeed NoviNeed Novi

Thank you to our Plant a Row for the Hungry(PAR) Garden volunteers for successfullydonating almost 1,000 lbs of produce to Feedthe Need Novi. Since 2002, the MSU TollgatePAR Garden has donated an average of2,400 lbs of produce to Forgotten Harvestand other local organizations. The PARGarden team includes many MSU ExtensionMaster Gardeners who earn EMG hours fortheir work. When this year’s pandemicprevented volunteers from being on the farmuntil mid-June, they pitched in for a 4-daymarathon of planting to ensure a bountifulharvest to benefit the food insecure in ourcommunity. This year’s harvest includedgarlic, onions, potatoes, winter & summersquash, pole beans, cabbage, beets, turnips,and carrots. Thank you to this year’s superhardworking and dedicated team whichincludes, Kathryn Fitzpatrick (PAR GardenLeader), Mary Bohner, Deborah Fedor,Dorothy Schmidt, Lynette Leroux, AngieCarter, Nancy Powell, Theresa Bridenbaugh,Lenora Woloszyn, and Mary Ann Chadwick!

This Month's 4-H Newsletter isThis Month's 4-H Newsletter isHere!Here!

Oakland County 4-H Connections is amonthly newsletter for 4-H members, families,and the general community with news andinformation about 4-H youth developmentactivities in Oakland County.

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Opportunities and SpotlightsOpportunities and Spotlights

Staff and Volunteer SpotlightsStaff and Volunteer SpotlightsNovember 2020November 2020

Curious about everyone who works at MSUTollgate Farm? Every Monday on ourFacebook and Instagram we feature a staffmember or volunteer. The last month we havefeatured Gwen Klenke, a 4-H alum andlivestock volunteer, Gwen Schaller, our CSAProduction Assistant, Marilyn Alimpich, agarden volunteer, and Jenny Speyer,Educational Program Leader.

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Interested in Volunteering atInterested in Volunteering atTollgate?Tollgate?

We are grateful and appreciate our volunteersat MSU Tollgate Farm. Would you like tovolunteer at Tollgate? Check out the steps tobecome part of the Tollgate volunteer team.

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MSU Tollgate Farm and Education CenterMSU Tollgate Farm and Education Center28115 Meadowbrook Rd. Novi, MI 48377

248-347-0269http://tollgate.msu.edu/

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer. Michigan State University Extensionprograms and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender

identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status,

family status or veteran status.