Gardens & Greenhouse

Greenhouse to Your House

The Greenhouse to Your House program not only provides a free, healthy, and fresh product to our community to help mitigate food insecurity in the short term, but the kit concept helps create cultural change by defining a new narrative around healthy food and cooking at home with the goal of inspiring families to implement healthier practices in the long term.

The program is available to all ASP kids and families regardless of income. The attractive and desirable fresh food kits will be delivered directly into caretakers’ vehicles during curbside pickup. Recipes, picture cards, and instructions are included with each meal kit.

A portion of the produce provided in the boxes is grown by AYCC Gardens Coordinator, Zoe Mason. She and her team of Volunteers not only prepare and care for the AYCC’s Sustainable Gardens, but the children in our childcare program learn to plant and tend to the produce as well. The very best of Farm to Table.

More Info

FMI contact Sheila Upton, Food & Nutrition Services Director

207-873-0684 supton@clubaycc.org

Mary Nash Beaupre Greenhouse: Year-Round Learning and Growth

The AYCC Greenhouse, a large dome located in our parking lot, serves as an educational hub for children in our After School (ASP), Summer Enrichment (SEP), and our Preschool Programs. This space allows us to continue teaching kids about sustainable food production throughout the year, even when the outdoor garden beds are covered in snow.

Inside the greenhouse, raised garden beds line the walls, growing vegetables, flowers, and herbs. In the spring, tables are filled with seedlings that flourish in the warm environment. Each year, we host a Spring Seedling Sale, our largest fundraiser, which helps support the garden program. This even gives the community a chance to kickstart their home gardens while supporting educational initiatives.

In addition to plants, the greenhouse is home to a large fish pond, further enhancing the learning environment by offering insights to aquatic ecosystems and sustainable water practices. Additionally, the greenhouse features beeswax vents. These heat-activated, automatic vent openers use a beeswax solution to open and close the vents at certain temperatures. Warmer weather makes for a toasty environment inside and comforting during cooler months.

Kids' Garden at the AYCC: Hands on Learning Through Gardening and Nature

The Kids’ Garden, located around the greenhouse in the AYCC parking lot, offers children ages 3-12 in our After School Program (ASP), Summer Enrichment Program (SEP), and Preschool Program a unique opportunity to explore gardening, nutrition, and nature. Through interactive games, and hands-on activities, kids actively participate in every stage of the gardening process.

Using organic and ecological practices, children plant seeds, nurture seedlings, spread mulch and compost, harvest fresh vegetables, and even enjoy tasting the produce straight from the garden! Along with these practical skills, they also learn vital lessons on topics like:

• The origins of their food and sustainable farming practices
• How to identify different plants, insects, and beneficial pollinators
• Post-harvest food processing, cooking, and preservation techniques

Our garden program not only teaches physical skills but also instills a deeper understanding of the environment and the importance of sustainable food production. It’s a hands-on, educational experience that helps kids grow along with the plants they tend.