A Note From Founder and President

Nada Cory

As January comes to a close, we hope you have already seen the possibilities a new year will bring to light.

This month gave way to a most abundant period in our Gardens of Hope cycle, with photos of bountiful yields our students harvested and activities taken from our Teacher Guides. Gardens of Hope clubs literally enjoyed the “fruits” and vegetables of their labor! What a pleasure it truly is, to bump into former Garden Club recipients who, reminiscent of fond memories, run into our arms. Most importantly, "growing" up with new knowledge for healthier lives brings us true joy and satisfaction.

2025 marks a most heartful time for the Joseph P Cory Foundation as we enter our 10^th year. The fulfillment of our mission is evident by the thousands of students, families, veterans, and community, who have benefited from our programs and education. Our archives are full of photos, donations, thank you letters, videos of collaborative projects, and organic Gardens of Hope! The stories are numerous, and we are beyond grateful.

We encourage you to look for our emails and announcements recounting the special lectures, culinary experiences, and fun created to honor and highlight our anniversary. Whether you join us on a delicious picnic, participate in a hands-on experience, or learn something new at a lecture, we are certain, you will better understand the importance of our vision and goal, all the while, having a wonderful time.

We thank all our friends, old and new, for the opportunity to have touched your lives and influenced your food choices and protocols. May this year light a spark within you, to help us further our mission, scale up our programs and resources, and widen our reach.

In good health,

Nada

All around us, particularly in schools, this is a season of compromised immune systems for students and families.

What better way to teach natural remedies and ways to offset colds and flu, than to explain the virtues of Vitamin C?

Below are links, so you may enjoy this with your family and friends. We would love to hear more about your "old family healing protocols", and how you jumpstarted your season of wellness.

Having a Garden of Hope right outside their window and door, allows for hands-on learning/outdoor classroom education in real-time.

Ginger Lemonade

A fan favorite!

Watch "How To" Video

If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then eating vitamin C will make them change professions!

Just like the lessons we impart to our students, it is important to know just how much "C" you are getting for your time and money spent.



More about vitamin C

When we were limited to only a few citrus choices, oranges became the "go to" healer. Why not choose a red pepper or some black currants to change it up and benefit!

Your garden has so much more to give!

What fun it is to pick and fill baskets full of our mature vegetables and herbs. All our hard work sowing seeds planted this fall is truly a gift to be enjoyed. What do we now do with the empty patches of soil where produce once grew?

In Zone 10, this is a great time to plant a variety of cool-season vegetables, herbs, and bulbs, which grow and thrive in milder winter temperatures.

Vegetables: Beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, turnips, spinach, carrots, and onions.

Herbs: Many herbs can be planted directly in the garden in January. Dill, fennel, tarragon, and thyme.

Spring bulbs*: Start planting bulbs that will bloom in spring. Clivia lilies, and crinum.

*Check local conditions: Always consider your specific microclimate within Zone 10 and check for potential frost dates.

Holistic Pest Control

While you are enjoying your garden, it's important to also consider the rodents, bugs, weeds, and other pests that can't wait to indulge on your efforts.

Many aromatic plants can deter insects, like mint, sage, and basil to name a few. Since many herbs naturally repel insects, it comes as no surprise that herbalists and chemists alike use botanical oils to create safe and responsible insecticides and repellent sprays.

Here’s the A list of our top 5 herbs with natural pest repellent qualities: Garlic, Mint, Basil, Sage, and Lemongrass, all herbs with active ingredients rather than chemical repellents, solving your pest problem without adding a toxic element to your green space! Read on for "how to" remedies.

Scan QR Codes or Click on the photo for a downloadable PDF.

A New Year, A New You!

Cooking with Nada teaches new and “seasoned” cooks how to prep, cook, and enjoy culinary techniques, tastes, and mindful eating. All lessons utilize organic, gluten and dairy-free recipes, and have captured the hearts and stomachs of our class participants.

To add a new palette, January’s lesson was presented using recipes from a wonderful plant-based cookbook written by Dr. Anahitta Jafari, entitled The Persian Kitchen Physician. They say the “proof is in the pudding”; while no pudding was prepared, all the dishes received a thumbs up! Look at our student experiences on this short video.

There is still space for our February 8^th “For the LOVE of Food” class, and a limited number of attendees will enjoy the afternoon at our Singer Island, Florida location.



All the proceeds from tuition will go to fulfill the mission and programs of the Joseph P Cory Foundation. Email to register at: info@josephpcoryfoundation.org.