The Good Foodie

The Good Foodie – Turning school gardens into STEM classrooms by teaching science, sustainability, and food systems to young minds.

The Good Foodie is a community of people like you who are working to help solve social and environmental problems by promoting better options for living more sustainable, healthy lifestyles. Join the conversation, share your passion and use your expertise to create a just and sustainable future.

10/31/2026

Sometimes spooky things can grow in the garden, but if we look closely, we can find something beautiful.

As autumn deepens and the leaves fall, I remember my family celebrating All Saints' Day on November 1 and All Souls' Day on November 2.

While the surrounding season often focuses on ghosts, shadows, and the spooky, these two days offer a gentler, more profound way to look at life, death, and memory.

All Saints' Day shines a light on our spiritual ancestors, the men and women who walked before us, whose lives bore extraordinary fruit and whose courage lights our path today.

All Souls' Day draws us back to the garden of our own personal histories. It is a quiet, loving space to remember and celebrate our departed family, friends, and loved ones whose grace shaped who we are.

Like winter creeping into the flowerbeds, death and grief can feel cold and frightening.

However, the memory of those who have gone before us isn't a shadow to fear, it's a garden of remembrance to tend with gratitude and hope.

This weekend, as the days shorten, let us celebrate all those who have gone before us into that good night.

10/30/2026

Exploring Energy Transfer with 3rd Graders

This week we set up a simple physics experiment that our students loved. Below is the quick, engaging, and easy-to-run investigation we used to help 3rd graders understand how potential energy turns into kinetic energy using everyday materials.

The Lab at a Glance

Question: How does starting height affect a moving ball?
Time: 30–40 minutes
Core Concept: An elevated object stores gravitational potential energy. As it rolls downhill, that energy transfers into kinetic energy (motion).

Materials Needed

• Hot Wheels Track & Tape
• Balls & Measuring tape
• Stopwatch & Marked finish line

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Build: Set up a ramp rising up to 50 cm.
2. Mark: Label starting points on the track at 10 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm. Set a flat-surface finish line.
3. Release: Drop the ball without pushing it, starting from the lowest height (10 cm) up to the highest (30 cm). Test each height three times.
4. Measure: Track either the distance traveled past the ramp or the time it takes to reach the finish line. Record your data.

Discussion & Safety Tips

• Think About It: Why does the ball move faster and travel further from a greater height? (Hint: More height = more stored potential energy to transfer!) Talk about how friction gradually slows the ball down, too.

• Safety First: Secure your ramp firmly, keep the track on a table or floor, and ensure balls stay away from children under 5.

We hope you enjoy this experiment as much as we did.

What other experiments are your students currently loving? Let us know in the comments.

10/23/2026

Tiny Peppers, Big Discussions!

This week, our STEM garden students harvested tiny, oval-shaped Pequin (Piquín) peppers and explored the fascinating connections between culinary science, agriculture, and food culture.

Pequin pepper plants produce numerous small, berry-like fruits prized for their intense heat and use in hot sauces, dried pepper flakes, and seasonings.

These tiny peppers offered lessons that went far beyond the garden as students investigated how spices tell the story of human trade, migration, and agricultural history.

For example, native to the Americas, chili peppers spread around the world through exploration, trade, and cultural exchange, becoming essential ingredients in cuisines across the globe.

From fresh salsas, moles, and marinades in Latin America to curries, spicy pastes, and stir-fries in parts of Asia, chili peppers have influenced culinary traditions worldwide. They even feature in Mediterranean and North African dishes, including spicy oils and harissa, a chili-based condiment.

Our students also explored the chemistry behind the heat, Capsaicin, the compound responsible for the burning sensation we experience when eating hot peppers.

Pequin peppers typically measure about ¼ to ½ inch long and can register approximately 30,000–60,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), depending on the variety and growing conditions.

By comparison, sweet bell peppers register 0 SHU because they contain little to no capsaicin.

Students learned how capsaicin activates sensory receptors that normally respond to heat, creating the familiar burning sensation.

They also discussed how capsaicin may help protect pepper plants from certain animals and pests.

Finally, they investigated how different ingredients affect the experience of eating spicy foods.

Students found that acidic ingredients, such as lime juice, can brighten flavors but do not reliably neutralize capsaicin. While fats, including those found in dairy products, can help disperse capsaicin and ease the burning sensation.

From tiny seeds to big scientific questions, our STEM garden transforms everyday foods into opportunities for discovery.

10/16/2026

Small Experiments. Big Discoveries. A Deeper Understanding of Our Planet.

What do yeast, sugar, salt, and warm water have to do with the carbon cycle? More than you might think!

This week, our students explored how carbon moves through living things and returns to the atmosphere, all through a simple, hands-on science experiment.

The ingredients behind the discovery included:
— Sugar to provide carbon and energy for the yeast.
— Yeast to break down sugar through fermentation, releasing carbon dioxide.
— Warm water to activate the yeast, helping students observe the process.
— Salt to introduce students to how environmental conditions can affect yeast activity.

As the yeast broke down the sugar, students watched bubbles and foam form as carbon dioxide (CO₂) was released.

From a simple jar to a global ecosystem, our students discovered how plants, microorganisms, and the air we breathe are all connected through the carbon cycle.

At The Good Foodie - STEM Garden Program, we believe science comes alive when students can see it, explore it, and ask questions about how it works.

By connecting chemistry, biology, and environmental science to the world around them, we encourage students to grow their curiosity, build scientific thinking skills, and imagine themselves as the next generation of scientists and environmental problem-solvers.

10/09/2026

This week we harvested rosemary seeds in our school garden!

Did you know our school garden's rosemary bloomed this past season? Now that the flowers have faded and formed tiny seed pods, our students decided it was the perfect time to harvest them.

Here is the quick step-by-step guide our student gardeners used to harvest rosemary seeds:

1. Wait for Maturity: We let the small spring and summer flowers fade, dry out, and turn into tiny brown seed pods right on the plant.

2. Pluck the Pods: Students gently pinched or plucked the dry seed pods off the stems using their fingers. (Pro-tip: Hold a small cup, bowl, or paper bag underneath to catch any runaway seeds!)

3. Dry Further: We then placed the collected pods into an open paper bag to let them rest in a warm, dry room away from direct sunlight for 1 to 2 weeks to dry completely.

Seed harvesting and seed saving are fundamental agricultural practices that have sustained human civilization for thousands of years.

For our students, this simple hands-on experience reinforced how preserving seeds from one growing season to the next provides vital economic, ecological, and cultural benefits.

Have you ever tried saving herb seeds at home? Let us know in the comments below!

10/02/2026

Garden Science Starts with a Little Reaction!

The new school year is in full swing so as an introduction to The Good Foodie’s STEM Garden program, our students explored the basics of chemical reactions using baking soda and vinegar, two simple household ingredients.

Students got to see chemistry in action by asking the question, what happens when you mix baking soda and vinegar?

The bubbling, fizzing reaction wasn't just fun, it was a hands-on opportunity to learn about:
— Chemical reactions by observing how substances can combine to create something new
— Gas formation by discovering that the fizzing bubbles are carbon dioxide
— Observation & inquiry by asking questions, making predictions, and recording what happens
— Connections to the garden by beginning to understand the chemistry behind soil, composting, nutrients, plant growth, and the natural world around us

This simple experiment helped students see that science isn't just something you read about, it’s something you can see, touch, test, and explore.

And this is just the beginning.

At The Good Foodie, we grow curious minds right alongside our gardens.

07/31/2026

Growing Together: Thank You for an Incredible Season!

As another amazing school year and summer camp come to a close, we're celebrating a season filled with learning, growth, and harvests. None of it would have been possible without our incredible community.

To our volunteers: Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and countless hours helping our garden flourish.

To our students: Your curiosity, enthusiasm, and willingness to dig in, explore, and learn made every day in the garden an adventure.

To our teachers: Thank you for transforming the garden into an outdoor classroom where STEM concepts came alive through hands-on learning.

Together, we've grown more than fruits and vegetables, we've grown confidence, curiosity, teamwork, and a greater appreciation for nature.

Thank you for believing in our mission and helping cultivate the next generation of environmental stewards. We can't wait to grow with you again next season!

07/24/2026

Bodi (pronounced bo-dee) have become the superstar of our school STEM garden!

Proving that not every plant wilts in the Washington, DC summer heat. Some absolutely thrive.

While many crops struggle during July and August, these tropical legumes flourish in the blazing sun.

Our students are learning that bodi love hot, humid weather and will become even more productive as temperatures rise.

Their vines can climb an impressive 10–12 feet in just a few weeks, providing a firsthand lesson in plant growth and adaptation.

Bodi also naturally enrich the soil by fixing nitrogen, helping prepare our garden beds for a successful fall planting season.

Every harvest is more than fresh food, it's a hands-on STEM lesson in biology, ecology, climate adaptation, and sustainable agriculture.

For Washington, DC summers, bodi have proven to be the ultimate school garden crop, turning record-breaking heat into an opportunity for discovery, growth, and an abundant harvest.

07/17/2026

With Washington, DC experiencing another stretch of dangerously high summer temperatures, our school gardens are feeling the impact.

Extreme heat can stress plants, slow growth, scorch leaves, and dry out soil faster than roots can absorb the moisture they need.

But even in challenging conditions, nature finds remarkable ways to adapt.

Our plants create cool, shaded hideaways where neighborhood can escape the blazing sun.

These leafy canopies remind us that healthy gardens don't just nourish people, they also provide valuable habitat and refuge for local wildlife.

In a warming climate, gardens are becoming more than places to grow food. They're becoming cooling spaces, outdoor classrooms, and safe havens for both people and animals.

This allows our students to see firsthand how every plant plays a role in a larger ecosystem.

06/26/2026

Our students recently planted Trinidadian Bodi beans (also known as Chinese Long Beans or Asparagus Beans), and we can't wait to see these incredible vines produce a bountiful harvest.

Before planting outdoors, students germinated seeds in jars, giving them a front-row seat to one of nature's most amazing transformations. They observed how warmth and moisture awaken the embryo inside the seed, allowing the first root to emerge before the shoot reaches toward the light.

Now that seedlings are thriving in our garden, students are exploring how soil quality, sunlight, temperature, water, and proper spacing all influence healthy plant growth. They'll also discover one of nature's best examples of teamwork.

Because as members of the legume family, Bodi beans partner with beneficial soil bacteria to capture nitrogen from the air and naturally enrich the soil, helping neighboring plants grow.

Bodi beans are especially exciting because they flourish in hot weather, making them an excellent crop for Washington, D.C.'s summer growing season. With the right care, these fast-growing vines can produce impressively long beans that are a favorite in Caribbean, Asian, and African cuisines.

We are excited to welcome these newest additions to our school garden and can't wait to share the harvest.

Address

611 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE #104
Washington D.C., DC
20003

Telephone

+14105916725

Website

http://www.thegoodfoodie.org/

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