Ready for the Winter

This week at the Redwood Sustainable Agriculture Farm, we have been busy trying to keep our beds in the best shape possible. Even though the weather is now shifting and the seasons are changing, it is still important to take care of our beds even though not much planting or harvesting can be done. In the farm, many of us focused mainly on our Maintenance Jobs in order to get the farm prepared for the upcoming winter and simply making our farm a better place to farm and create effective ways to manage our farm. This week also consisted of plenty of classroom time in which we all took results that we accumulated in this semester from our beds and converted it into information for the entire class and even ourselves to learn about what future plans and how to make our farm more sustainable in the years to come.

In our bed, A1, we noticed that our crop yield was pretty high, however our compost was not that much. After learning from our data that we have collected, we have a new goal to produce plants that can be used for compost in order to help our soil grow and make a perfect place for calorie crops to grow in. Many others presented about their beds and talked about their yields and problems that have occurred during this semester.  -Aarti

Beetle Companions

by Charlie Bucklar

These last couple weeks we have learned a lot about different companions on our farm, and how they can be both beneficial and harmful towards our crops.  One farm companion that I took a closer look at and learned a lot about in doing my companions report is the common black ground beetle.  This beetle is found all over the world and lives in the soil as well as under rocks, leaves and branches.  It is also a very beneficial companion that preys on a variety of different insect and mollusk pests, including Aphids, cucumber beetles, caterpillars, slugs, and snails.  

There are three major ways to sustainably attract these beetles to our farm.  The first is to plant crops with lots of leaves to form canopies over the soil (corn, bell beans, lettuce, carrots, other leafy crops).  These canopies provide the ideal habitat for ground beetles as they allow them to hide away from predators out in the open (birds, rodents, toads).  Laying down thick organic mulch is also a good way to provide ample shelter and refuge for these beetles.  The other major way to encourage more of  these companions to live on our farm is to plant nectar producing crops (Alfalfa, squash, broccoli, strawberries, etc).  These plants attract airborne predators (yellow jackets/hornets) that drive aphids and other prey closer to the ground.  This provides more available food for the common black ground beetle as well as other beneficial ground-dwelling beneficial pest predators.  

Iron Chef #2

This week we had our second Iron chef competition. We started by harvesting our produce from the farm. Some groups decided to bring in extra ingredients from home or the store. We took all our ingredients to the teachers lounge to prepare our master dishes. All groups anticipated the moment when Mr. Stewart gave the go ahead to start cooking. Once he said go, the chefs got their knifes out and started chopping their freshly picked produce. It was a very intense atmosphere as all four groups were cooking up a storm on the one four burner stove. Olive oil, salt, vegetables, and herbs were all being passed around the room. One of the vice principles was drawn into the room by the rich smells of our cooking filling the hallway. He complimented us on our cooking and went on back into the hall way. The competition was friendly as groups would give each other tips and a helping hand. After everyone was done and all cleaned up, it was the moment we had all been waiting for... the judging. As our judges, Mr. Stewart and Laura, were sampling the food, the groups were have friendly debates as to why their dish was better than the rest. A member from each group got up to show the class there dish and give them a little description of what they had prepared. Hungry students hands whet flying out as soon as the dishes came to their table. The students sampled all the dishes as well as the teachers, but the most enjoyed amongst the students was the french fries. The only opinion the groups were interested in was of the judges. Mr. Stewart and Laura talked amongst them selfs and came to the agreement that they most enjoyed the potato and salad dish made by Morgans group. We were all happy to participate in our second iron chef and let our competitive side show. I'm sure everyone is anticipating our next competition with hopes of winning.

- Dezire Celis and Ariella Bellingham 

​
​