Final Exam

This week, we have began our preparation for the final exam in Sustag. For many of us, finals are a very stressful time and it is very hard to fit in a solid time to study for all of our exams. In Sustag, Mr. Stewart was kind enough to give us a study guide that we can use in our journals. This is great because it takes away a lot of the stress that many students suffer during this time of the year. Especially for my fellow peers who are seniors, with finals next week and college responses coming in, there is a lot going on in people's minds. I think that is universally known that Sustag is a very enjoyable class, however, it definitely offers a challenge and this final is not to be taken lightly. Even though we have many resources to use on this test, students must prepare well and take their time to really solidify on all of the rules, procedures, facts of crops and pests, etc. Finally, this final will reflect how much we learned this semester. For someone like me, I had no knowledge of 99% of the things we have learned this year, however, I feel that Mr. Stewart did a very good job at teaching us and preparing us for this test! —Evan

Mid Year One Bed Reports

This week in sustainable agriculture was focused on every week to this point combined together in the form of group one bed presentations. These presentations focused on each groups specific one bed that they have been working on this year. Each groups job was to show their fellow students their procedures in the garden, as well as the success and challenges they have had. Most groups did a great job displaying all the work they have done as well as displaying actual calorie and composite harvest numbers taken from their bed. Every bed had some sort of calorie output with the total mean being 8.05lbs. Groups were definitely more successful in producing compost with the total mean being 41.08lbs. Overall this project helped students be able to look at all the work they have done with their own bed this past year as well as the work of others. —Talis

Irrigation

Here we see our student's fine craftsmanship with some innovative overhead irrigation systems for the plant starters we have in our greenhouse aka the Hoop house. Within our Redwood garden resides tons of irrigation systems ranging from overhead (shown in images above), to perhaps one of most efficient methods, Drip irrigation. The system allocates water directly to the roots of the plants, so none of the water is wasted. As time passes and we become less inept with our irrigation, our garden will be one of the most sustainable any High School has seen before.     

-Oliver Lewis

The Future of Food

  On Wednesday this week in class we watched a documentary called The Future of Food. The documentary focused on the agri-business and how they manipulate the agriculture business and force the usage of genetically modified seeds/food. The documentary showed the perspectives of several farmers throughout the U.S., Canada and Mexico and showed their experiences. The documentary also showed the process on how plants and seeds can be genetically modified. It also goes over the positive and negative aspects of pesticides and herbicides. Also, the documentary focuses on the monopoly on the agriculture business. The monopoly is controlled by a company called Monsanto that has brought up smaller companies. Monsanto has also brought lawsuits against farmers after making them use their products without the farmers knowledge. Last but not least the Future of Food shows how the EPA and big agriculture businesses are connected which shows that high ranking members in the EPA used to work for companies such as Monsanto which shows that they will not pass laws that will harm Monsanto or make them less successful. This relates to our SustAg class because it explains the facts about herbicides and pesticides and shows us why not to use them. It also shows us information about GMOs and why not to use them either. The video also shows the impact of agriculture and why we do it the way we do at the farm.

• John

One Bed Projects

Starting at the end of last week, us Sustainable Agriculture kids have been back to crunching numbers and analyzing data for our one beds. Although it's not the most exciting aspect of our one-bed project, it really allows us to view the development of our beds whether they are negative or positive. We calculated how much we harvested, calorie crops and compost crops, and compared those numbers to our predictions from the beginning of the year. We also calculated how much of each amendment we had used during the semester along with how much water as well as planned for the next growing season. Particularly in my bed after all of our data analysis, A10, we found out that we weren't quite tending to our bed in the most sustainable manner. We were using 2 gallons over the sustainable goal of 6 gallons each day. We also really needed to use our bed space more efficiently as well as plant more nitrogen-fixing plants to help replenish our soil naturally. In the next season, or semester, we plan to plant mostly light feeder vegetables, many more nitrogen-fixing plants, and more compost crops. We plan on specifically planting crops such as rye grass, beets, beans, and alfalfa, though according to Mr. Stewart, alfalfa has not done well on the farm. Still, we are going to give that crop a try. We also plan on reducing water usage next season. (here are some photos of our bed as of December 5th) -Sarah

Winter Planting

Throughout this first semester of sustainable agriculture with Mr. Stewart we have spent more than 50% of our class time on the sustag farm. We have become familiar with the tools we use, safety precautions, and how the farm runs on a daily basis. However out of all the information we have compiled over the months the most important is each groups one bed. Each one bed has about 4 people assigned to it for the entire year. The one beds are 3 by 20 feet (60 square feet) and have drip irrigation tubes in place. There are previous crops that we planted by past classes that we have maintained as well as new planting additions of our own.

During the fall season we have worked on our one beds by composting dead plants, weeding, and harvesting for the first Friday monthly market. We have additionally adequately watered and maintained healthy soil composition. More specifically, we tested the soil chemical makeup of N-P-K (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium) plus the ph level of the soil. Some other soil tests we performed were breaking up the soil elements in a cylinder with water, rolling the soil to see if it made a ball, and squeezing the soil to make ribbons.

For the Winter season we will continue to test the soil levels for all its components. Based on our findings and whether or not we need to amend our one bed because of any deficiencies or surpluses. It is also important that for the new season we plant appropriate crops for the one of year. The winter season can be a dangerous time for plant growth with the harsh conditions. It is beneficial to plant a number of companion plants throughout the one bed to keep in check nitrogen status and to be helpful towards other plants thriving.

by Andrew R

Working on Our Final Presentations

by Bryce Jehling

This week we spent most of our time inside the classroom due to the rainy weather. While we were inside, we started preparing our final group bed presentations for the end of the semester. There are three to four people in each group. The groups have been working together since the beginning of the school year. Each group has a plot of land in the garden where they planted and maintained different crops throughout the semester. For the final presentation we will share out to the class information about our one beds. We will discuss our bed growth and the amount of pounds of yield that we have harvested in both calorie and compost crops. We will share the different procedures and materials that we have used throughout the semester such as double digging. Our groups will also discuss the type of soil that we have in our bed as they relate to the soil tests that we took. We will show a diagram of our bed and describe the different plants we have. Finally, we will share the actual sustainability of our one beds. Our time inside the classroom this week gave us a great opportunity to work with our groups to plan and prepare for our final presentation.  

This week

     This Friday was our last market day of this year, and we had a large yield considering the surprising approach of colder weather. We didn't sell any strawberries or raspberries because they were not in season but we had an abundant amount of kale and greens. Some garlic and potatoes were sold as well, although there are still many that have not yet matured. We were lucky to harvest some flowers that are still growing at this time of year.

     Today was also a work day where we did a lot of weeding, planting, and harvesting. The recent rainfall has caused bean plants throughout the farm to thrive, which will provide a lot of beans to be sold on future market days. Leeks and beets were planted today as well, which will be a nice addition to the farm. —Alex F

In class video

This week in SustAg, we were in the classroom during block period due to the weather conditions. As we are entering the winter it is more typical for rain and because of this our time on the farm could potentially be limited. While we were in the classroom, we watched a documentary titled The Future of Food which talked about the causes and effects of using chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers to help groom farm land. One of the main companies that was brought up in the video that works in designing chemicals to use on farms was Monsanto. Monsanto located in St. Louis, Missouri. They are known to be one of the largest pesticide companies in the world. One invention that gave them a lot of attention is RoundUp- a weed killer. Monsanto is also known for a specific type of canola seed they modified to withstand the effects RoundUp and other chemicals. People were ultimately affected by this seed because Monsanto put a patient on it. Farmers like Percy Schmeiser were unknowingly harvesting this patented seed and were sued by Monsanto. —Wes

Organic Iron chef

This week in Class we all participated in a competition called the iron chef where there is a theme ingredient from the garden which was herbs. All four groups had two days to plan a herb based meal and 10 minutes on the farm to harvest things that they and their peers grew. There are four different groups and each group has a place to prep and cook their meals. Our group chose to make a mixed herb sauteed potato dish with rosemary, cilantro, and oregano. First, we washed and cut all our potatoes into halves and quarters. Next, we chopped all of our herbs, peeled the garlic, and diced an onion. Next, we put the potatoes into a pan with peanut oil on medium high for roughly 15 to 20 minutes, seasoning in the beginning and stirring occasionally. We ended up winning by majority vote because the texture of our potatoes was "perfect" in Mr. Stewart's words. Each group's dish was very different from the other with creative ideas like pancakes and soup. The only thing in common between all dishes was herbs. What I liked about the Iron Chef competition was being able to harvest crops our own beds and prepare them until a meal, especially when you start growing them from seed like the cilantro.

—Cooper

Iron Chef 2

Coming back from Thanksgiving break, students coming back from either the beautiful Tahoe's landscape or from the smoky Marin County. The students will visit the farm after more than week without getting close to school.

Also the Sustag class had an unusual schedule this week. The second Iron Chef of the semester took place on Thursday morning by using herbs as the special ingredient this time. There was a huge variation of dishes between all the groups. There were many creative ideas using Rosemary such as lemonade, pastas and more.

There were also a few presentations by second-year students to show their projects in their own beds and their experience in their own beds and in the farm overall.

Due to the busy week, the students were only working Friday on the farm this week and our main job was to maintain and take care of our bed by weeding them because there was no school due to the Thanksgiving break. Although, some students only took care of their beds, some groups were able to work on their management jobs and some groups also had the opportunity to see if their could plant new crops on their beds that could grow during the winter or that could help to improve their soil quality (such as light or heavy feeders). -Diego C.

Farm to Fork Blog

Twice a semester us students get the opportunity to turn what we have grown, into a delicious meal cooked at home known as the farm to fork assignment. Different from the iron chef as we get to individually cook our meals at our convenience. The second time around in this semester I decided to cook one of my favorite meals that my mom makes. I took on the challenge of cooking potato soup from scratch. I was planning on cooking it over the weekend, however I waited til' the last day to cook this meal which was on my birthday. The assignment requires we use an ingredient straight from the farm so I chose to use rosemary due there not being enough potatoes available to use as my main ingredient. I started out by placing my large pot over medium high heat and rinsed off my veggies. I cut up three large leeks and 10 Yukon gold potatoes, and threw them into the pot. I added 8 cups of water and three chicken bullion cubes to let boil until the potatoes were cooked. 15 minutes later I took the pot off the heat and used whats known as an immersion blender to mix together the ingredients. I added rosemary, garlic powder, salt, pepper and some milk to give it its flavor. Before serving, I added some Frank's Red Hot Sauce to give it some heat.

Bees

Bees, perhaps are one of the most underrated and beneficial insects that we have recently gone over, and seen on our local farm. One of the main influences for understanding Bees was a documentary that we watched in class. In that we learned about the various crops and species that depend on Bees for their very own existence. That includes us, Bees are responsible for pollinating nearly 85% of all food crops for humans. On the other hand some examples of Bee dependent crops include beans, tomatoes, onions and carrots, not to mention the hundreds of other vegetables, oilseeds and fruits that are dependent upon bees for pollination. To United States Agriculture alone, the yearly Honey Bee pollination value can be counted up in the billions. It goes to show the importance of maintaining certain species in order to have a sustainable ecosystem. In this specific case such a small insect which has such a vital role in many ecosystems. There have been efforts recently within the SustAg crew to plant new flowers and other supporting companion crops to incentivize more Bees to come and pollinate throughout our farm. We recognize their significance and are doing what we can to support their population locally.

—Lucas

Iron Chef- The Battle Of The Cooks

This week the SustAg Classes had the second iron chef Wednesday the 28, 2018. This time we had to use herbs from the farm to make our dish. The group with the best dish would get the iron chef victory. In the competition you are allowed to bring other items that are not from the farm but the more you bring the less sustainable it is. And all that is provided by Mr.Stewart is the mini stove top and 2 cutting boards and 2 knifes. we got the first 15 mins out in the farm to collect ingredients we need for the dish. Once we are in the classroom the rules are explained and Mr.Stewart says "let the Iron Chef begin!". We only have about 50 mins to cook the dish and give it to Mr.Stewart to try. Once everything is cleaned up and he has finished eating he talks about each plate then declares a winner. For this weeks Iron Chef my group and I made rosemary biscuits. Unfortunately my group lost the iron chef but Alex's group won the iron chef. Congrats on wining the iron chef. 

-Eduardo Diaz 

Companions

This week in Sust. Ag has been all about companions and their roles in the farm. We have been looking at plants, weeds, insects, birds, and many more plants and animals to determine whether they are a pest or beneficial to the farm. I studied wasps and determined that they can be both a pest and beneficial to farms. Many people may not know this but wasps can play a vital role in farms. Wasps eat many insects such as caterpillars that eat plants and harm farms. Without wasps, farms would be crawling with pests that eat crops and degrade the farm overall. Wasps can also be considered pests, they sting and bother people trying to work. If this doesn't bother you, wasps should be present in you farm. To attract wasps to your farm, leave out food, specifically sweets and also make holes in logs for the wasps to live in. To discourage wasps, make sure that no food is left out, if wasps continue to be a problem, spray them with WD-40 (* ED. NOTE: not certified organic) and that should scare them away. Wasps are such an interesting insect because most people seem to dislike them but few people actually know how beneficial they can be on a farm and some of the great things they can do to keep a farm healthy. - charlie

Trip To the Marsh

This week we were forced to spend most of our time in the classroom due to poor air quality and lack of days due to school being cancelled on Friday. However the main focus of this week and the week before was companions on the Farm and how they interact with the plants growing on the soil and whether they are a pest or a beneficiary. To examine further the companion plants and animals in out local ecosystem the class took a short walk to the march on the east end of the school campus. Once at the march we observed the different plants and animals we saw and how many there was. We saw many different types of birds such as ducks and crows as wells as many plant species that were both invasive and native. This experience was very good for the class to understand how our farm should run like it would naturally without human interaction. We examined the similarities and differences between out fram and the local ecosystem and pointed out possibilities to improve the farm. - Cole

Ladybugs

This week in SustAg, Mr. Stewart has introduced us to companions and their role in our local farm. We have learned about many different companions that we can find on our farm, some being beneficial to the farm and others being detrimental. We have learned about the helpful pollination of bees, the harm of invasive weeds such as bermuda grass, and the beneficial decomposition of worms. One of the most helpful companions that we have learned about is the ladybug. Plant-eating aphids can be very harmful to a farm, but the presence of their ladybug predators keeps the number of aphids in check. Ladybugs eat 50-60 aphids per day, and without them, aphids would be able to eat and kill huge numbers of plants on a farm. As you can see in the image below, I found a ladybug on one of my bean plants in my OneBed eating aphids. In our OneBed one of the bean plants has completely died and shriveled up as it was eaten by aphids before we noticed. Once we recognized this issue we were able to smush the majority of the aphids on our bean plants and the rest should be eaten by ladybugs. Although the aphids are pests and are harmful to our plants, their presence along with the presence of the ladybugs and many other companions on our farm indicated that we are maintaining a balanced ecosystem with ample biodiversity. —Dean

More on November Market

Perhaps our most exciting day of the month, Market Day! The one day where all the classes work together to gather everything we've grown to sell at our Farmer's Market. We value each of our lbundles at $2. We determine the amount of an item in a bundle based off of both weight and size of plant. Some smaller individual plants sell for $1 such as Lemon cucumbers (very popular sellers) and horse radish plants. 

We'd gather these bundles of vegetables, split up into groups and parade around school offering them to teachers (who weren't teaching). After making our way through all four main hallways, we delivered to students flooding out of the lot and parents sitting in their car waiting to pick up students. 

Our most popular items today were our Lemon Cucumbers, Kale, Flower bouquets and our beets. We tend to sell out in these items which means we have to grow more of these goods in our garden. We already have two full class beds of Kale and on top of that students like to grow Kale in their own beds. We have several garden beds designed for flowers and are well taken care of by a group of students so increasing demand in this product shouldn't be an issue. Lemon cucumbers are a big seller but not one of our biggest growers. Perhaps we should designate more class beds for the cucumbers or encourage students to grow them in their own beds. 

Overall, I would say this Market was a success. We look forward to getting back in the farm to make next months market even better! -H Jones

Companions

Every healthy, balanced ecosystem has companions and it starts with benificials. Companions can be pests or beneficial plants and organisms. In the redwood farm, we find weeds all the time. They are constantly popping up in our plant beds and can be really frustrating. Weeds steal nutrients from the soil that our plants could be using. By using Grow Biointensive methods such as close plant spacing eliminate the opportunity for weeds to begin growing. There's no room for them to squeeze in between the other plants, and not enough nutrients for them to survive. We can also plant companion plants with crops to help them grow and even taste better, like legumes with strawberries. It's important to encourage beneficials in your garden because it may lead to attracting pollinators. Planting flowering plants in your garden will draw in bees, birds and butterflies. Birds, while they may be seeking a seed lunch, may stick around for an Aphid dinner. They can act as a natural pesticide that doesn't harm your garden.

The best defense against pests is a balanced ecosystem. Pests lurking in your garden can range from aphids to a symphylan. Symphylans are a gardener's worst nightmare. They feed on sprouting seeds and roots, causing damage to a plants ability to acquire water and nutrients. An easy fix to all these pests are pesticides, but the truth is that less than 2% of the pesticide used actually reaches the targeted organisms. The other 98% effects the non-targeted crop. There are sustainable alternatives to pesticides like promoting diversity in your garden, and mimicking nature which make for stronger plant defense and companion support. While herbicides are still semi toxic to plants, they kill unwanted vegetation and leave the crop somewhat unharmed. —Hunter

Snails

This week in class, we dove into the concept of companions on the farm. At the beginning of the week, Mr. Stewart introduced a new project to better familiarize ourselves with companions. For this project, everyone chose different companions, found on the RHS farm, to research. I wanted to choose an organism that I had actually interacted with in my lifetime, but didn't know that much about. As I looked at Me. Stewart's companion's list, my eyes immediately darted to "snail (pest)." This surprised me because I'd always thought snails were beneficial to plants, especially in an agriculture environment. I wanted to find out more about snails, so I decided to do my report on them. Through extensive research, I learned a decent amount of new information on this unique animal. I found out that snail's are damaging to an agricultural system because they munch on plant leaves, young plant bark, foliage, and fruit; this throws off an ecosystem. Snails especially like to eat fruits close to the ground like strawberries, which make them unreadable. Also, snails typically eat decomposing organic matter, which is vital to maintain soil nutrients, and therefore, plant growth. Because snails are pests, I looked into sustainable solutions to eliminating these animals from appearing in a farm setting. One of the easiest ways is to pick them off by hand and place them in a environment, like a grass field, in which they won't cause any harm. Another way is to spray a coffee mix around the plants that snails typically eat because it acts as a snail repellent. Lastly, is to create obstacles of crushed eggshells, lime, wood ash, wood shavings and sawdust around plants because snails aren't the athletic type and won't make that much of an effort to eat the plants. Overall, I learned that even though snails are slow, they can still cause a decent amount of harm to an ecosystem, and not all companions are compatible with the farm! --Makayla

The Wonderful Mantis

The Praying Mantis is a most interesting and beneficial insect to have on the farm. It is the only known insect to be able to turn its head and look over its shoulder (as its doing in the picture on the right). It is a general predator to most insects. You might be able to find a praying mantis on twigs, leaves, fences, and other vegetation which they don't eat. They are quick when attacking their prey, known to be two times quicker than an average housefly. They wait until prey is in reach before they snap at lighting quick speed. It's very beneficial to have these on a farm because they eat pests such as various aphids, leafhoppers, mosquitoes, caterpillars and other soft-bodied insects when young. Later they will eat larger insects, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and other pest insects. If you encounter a praying mantis, handle them with care or they can bite, and do not place them on the ground, as they can become easy prey for ants and other predators. A good location to place them is on vegetation so they can use their beneficial abilities such as killing off pests to promote growth on the farm. -Alex

COMPANIONS! Put your pest to the test.

This week SUSTAG has been chock-full of companion based activities. We kicked it off by getting assigned the companion report. We also did a reading log on them which allowed our knowledge of these plant and animal relationships to expand. Insects on the farm are especially fascinating companions. There are so many it is hard to identify them all. Also we have a variety of them that look alike. For example, a common mistake people make is confusing the honey bees with other insects such as wasps, bumble bees, or drone flies. However, a few physical changes lie on the amount of observable hair present, and the length/shape of their bodies. Another pair of insects that are mixed up is the lady bug and cucumber beetle. The main difference between these is whether or not they are pests or beneficial to the farm. Honey bees and ladybugs are classified as beneficial. Honey bees help by pollinating and ladybugs prey on the aphids that threaten a plants well-being. Pests such as the wasp and cucumber beetle cause harm to the farm. Wasps are carnivores that consume insects and in many cases they eat good bugs that assist the farm. Cucumber beetles feed on leaves and flowering plants which can stunt the growth of them. By better educating the class on companions and how to identify them could bring awareness to support the success of the farm. —Q. Yu

Farmer's Market Visit

This week in sustainable agriculture we took a small field trip to the Marin Farmers market, located at the Town Center Mall. At the venue there were a variety of different market stands with assortments or different food. We also had the honor and pleasure of speaking with the co-founder of the Marin farmers market, Lynn. She talked to use about all the nuances that go into having a successful farmers market. In this particular picture, it shows a picture of a market stand by Rodriguez Farms. They primarily grow, pick and sell strawberries. When we asked them about their picking process they explained to us that they have close to 60 pickers at the farm and only have two genders at the market. This allows them to increase profits by having more people at the farm picking to get more strawberries on a daily basis. We also talked to many other market stands and when we came in contact with J and J Ramos farms we learned about their way of extracting bugs. They use a machine that goes over all of the plants and is a vacuum. It sucks all the bugs into the vacuum, extracting them away from the plants where they could eat and eventually lower the overall yield. This also plays a large role in the environmental impacts this has. Instead of using pesticides, which are proven to be very harmful to the environment, they use the vacuum which is much more sustainable on a farm setting.          - Zack Gordon

Socratic Seminar

This week in class, we put our knowledge to the test through doing a socratic seminar! We prepped for three separate discussion questions overviewing topics we have learned thus far in the semester. Each of us got assigned to one question to discuss in front of the class, backing our point thoughtfully with data. The first discussion question covered the topic of sustainability when it comes to agriculture, specifically planting techniques and how they affect environment, economic and social realms. Many students brought forth techniques we use on the farm, as well as suggestions to further our yields and planting advancements. The second question expressed the concerns of soil erosion and soil fertility. Students shared how to address these problems with specific examples, such as planting more grass/shrubs to hold soil together to prevent erosion and protect soil with leaves. The third and final question we discussed focused on water usage and conservation. Individuals proposed conservation techniques not only to participate in on the farm, like drip irrigation and hand watering as shown in picture, but also at home, and how these viewpoints should change during a drought. Overall, our first socratic seminar was in many ways a success! —Sophia C

November Market Day

As a great week came to end end, Market Day approached. In preparation, the class worked extra hard to maximize the weeks yield on the farm. Day by day, the class utilized many methods to adequately prepare the soil for the harvest. As each bed group layered on compost, watered if needed, and planted what they could, the farm was thriving. On Friday, the harvesting began. From strawberries to beats, the class collected as much as it could. Students such as Dean Watson (top left) made a tenacious effort to precisely bundle the crops, and as the sixth period class (top middle) worked through the period, the Market Day was nearing. With time, the buckets filled up until the day was coming to an end. By sixth period, the crops were ready to be sold. As Scott (top right) and other students filed through, the crops began to sell, and by the end of the day, the class reached a whopping $205.

Marsh v Farm

This week the Sustainable Agriculture class studied beyond the Redwood farm. As student farmers, we spend almost all of our time either learning directly on the farm itself or learning about the farm in our classroom. We have grown accustomed to our own one beds and the different species around us, but what about the different types of ecosystems that we haven't been exposed to yet? Mr. Stewart introduced us to the marshland that is just a short walk away from the Redwood farm. We spent around 10 minutes observing different types of species that occupied the marshland, such as Salt Wart plants and Mud Hens. There were many different animals and plants that we've never seen before. We then went back to our more familiar farmland and observed the different species that we have been working with for the whole semester. We compared what we saw on the marshland to what we saw on the RHS farm. There were some things that we saw in both ecosystems such as bees and Fennel plants but there were more differences than there were similarities. We then asked ourselves how we could have the RHS farm mimic nature more. Although many species would have a difficult time adapting to a new ecosystem, we concluded that one way to make the Redwood Farm mimic nature more would be to add an aquatic aspect somewhere on the farm. It may be difficult but over time we can slowly add new things to the farm to make it more diverse and include different species from different ecosystems! -Nina

Voles are Friends Not Food!

The Redwood Sustainable Agriculture farm is proud to host habitats for many beneficial companions; however, some--like the vole--are not necessarily desirable. During multiple visits to the farm, students have spotted these pesky critters burrowing through the beds and marking their territories with their feces. Just recently, a student was startled when one scattered across the shed floor. After further investigation, we found it had sneakily chewed its way through the floor!

Voles are often mistaken for the moles, shrews, and mice because of their short brown fur, dark eyes, and hidden ears. Other names for them are meadow mice, ground moles, field mice, and meadow moles. The most common method of recognizing a vole invasion is by inspecting your beds. These miniature rascals create above ground "runways" to store food and reproduce in. They will often cluster in areas where overhead vegetation is present. As you can imagine, this creates problems for planting: they spread disease through their urine and feces and introduce parasites. Although they won't typically feed on farm crops, their digging will disrupt roots and soil nutrients, ultimately inhibiting growth. If populations are small, one might attempt to trap them in order to avoid damage. But if populations are large, pest control might be necessary.

PS. The vole was too quick to snap a photo, so I included one off the internet. —Olivia C

More new crops

During the week in sustainable agriculture Mr Stewart told us that we were going to be having a "pop quiz". Whenever I hear the words pop quiz I think oh no, but this time it wasn't all that bad, it was also the  start to our class beds. All the groups had to double dig ⅓ of a bed using or knowledge from what we read in the textbook. After all the double digging and the fertilizer was added we planted our crops. In my group we decided to plant broccoli, beets, fava beans, garlic, potatoes, lettuce, sweet peas and latter on we added some arugula. I learned that it is essential to water your plants for a couple weeks right after you plant them. And also to make sure the roots are buried almost all the way to the first leaf. I also learned that not all of the crops we planted would make it, they might have wilted or got eaten by pesticides.  

      

—Kate B.

Soil

In our new unit in Sustag, we are focusing on fertilizer and how to sustainable care for the soil in our one bed gardens. Last week, one of our homework assignments was to complete a reading log on a chapter about fertilizer. A fertilizer is a material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soils to supply plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. Many sources of fertilizer exist, both natural and industrially produced. In the reading, we read about different sources of nutrients and soil modifiers such as phosphorus and potassium and how their addition to the soil can add important nutrients to the soil and supply them to the surrounding plants. When we planted our one beds in the beginning of the year, we added fertilizer to the top of our bed to help improve the structure of the soil and increase the ability of the soil to hold water. The book reading also talked about how to sustainably add compost and fertilizers and in order to do this use most of the food that is grown at home and "grow" your own fertilizer. Going forward, we will continue to use organic fertilizer in our one bed as an amendment and addition to the cycling of nutrients. —Scott

Water

This week in Sustainable Agriculture we learned the importance of water. That may seem a little obvious but there's more to watering plants than it may seem. Watering plants with a hose can be bad for the soil. The force of the water can compact the soil which can hinder the plants roots from going deeper into the ground. To prevent this from happening you can use a Haws watering can which mimics falling rain and lessens the amount of impact on the soil. If you don't have a Haws watering can then you can attach a head to your hose with a "fan" setting which is similar to rain. If you can't get one of those just place your thumb over the hose nozzle and apply some pressure. This should cause the water to come out more like a mist than a jet. In the farm we use a drip system which slowly drips water onto the soil so it can absorb the water evenly without creating puddles. It's also a good way to regulate how much water is released so the plants can get used to a constant amount of water to take in.

When watering your plants be aware that some plants like tomatoes, peas, squash, and melons don't like water on their leaves. It can cause the leaves to rot and can rot the vegetables as well. To prevent this, directly water the soil underneath each plant, if needed gently move the leaves to be able to water around the stem.

Watering a plant daily can wash dust, grime, and pests from the plant which is very beneficial to a plant. Many people believe watering plants in the morning on hot days is good because it is cooler in the morning, but in actuality the water evaporates before the plant is able to absorb the water. Sometimes it is necessary to water plants three times a day. To help decrease the waste of water try watering your plants in the afternoon. This way it is less likely for the water to evaporate. Plants also do a considerable amount of growing at night so the added water helps that growth.

Water is very important to plant growth and health. Knowing how to water properly can enhance a plants yield and its overall health. Water is a necessity to a plants nutrition and is a key ingredient in photosynthesis which is the process where plants take energy from the sun and water to create energy that they use to grow fruits and vegetables and in general keep the plant alive and healthy. - Niki Barker

The Brand New Orchard!!

Our newest addition to the farm this year is the elevated orchard. We were previously were not able to grow certain trees due to our limited soil space. We have about 2 feet of soil in the farm below our feet, then landfill. This previously restricted our ability to grow trees that required deeper roots, but now we have access to an elevated hill providing more soil space for roots to grow. The orchard contains a variety of trees and a mini vineyard for grapes. We use drip irrigation in the orchard to water our trees and on top of that we water with the buckets of excess water from our sustainable sink. This orchard provides us with the opportunity to broaden our agriculture education with a bigger variety of plants. Once our trees begin to fruit we will also be able to have a wider variety at our monthly farmers markets. This orchard opens up an abundance of diversity and opportunity making it an extremely exciting addition to our farm. -Tatum

The Urban Farmer

Last week on block day, Mr. Stewart took the majority of the class to help out at the farmers market in town center. For the rest of us who stayed back, he had two videos for us to watch. Both of them were by Curtis Stone, author of "The Urban Farmer". In these videos, he details how he takes care of his farm, and goes over some tips and tricks to a successful sales day at the market.

 In the first video, "This is How my Farm Works", he shows us through his mass-producing backyard farm system. To grow as efficiently as possible, he rotates his plants four times a season, each  time a quick growing crop. His farm has an entire section dedicated to post-harvest preparation, using cooling and compression boxes to keep his plants fresh, and machines that tie bundles quickly. Some tools he uses that are specifically designed for mass farming are a two-wheel tractor, and a tiller. 

The majority of the second video, "A Day at the Farmer's Market" is a timelapse of Stone and his crew setting up their market, but there is some explanation in there as well. He explains that in order to sell as much as possible, the stand must be organized in a way that makes it look like you have a lot of product. "The illusion of abundance", as he calls it. If customers see that the boxes are full of produce, they will be more intrigued and interested in buying more. 

For local Marin farmers markets, go to marincounty.org and go to the farmers markets section. A lot of information is included with each one, including times and days they are open!

Rachel Berg

Soil Sampling

As we jump into our new unit on sustag, we begin to focus in on fertilizer and soil and how to sustainably and correctly care for soil and the soil that is in our one-bed gardens. In the past Reading Log, we read about what additions and amendments can benefit the soil and how fertilizers and compost can improve soil structure and rotate nutrients throughout one beds and gardens. To further our understanding of what makes up the soil and see how nutrient-rich it is, we began a soil test sampling/testing the soil in our one beds that we will be working on throughout the next week. A Soil Test is a process where nutrients are removed from the soil and measured for their plant available content within the sample. In this case, we were testing to see what percentage of the soil is sand, compared to clay, and silt. And as an end result, we will also determine the amount of amendments that make up the soil sample such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as well as finding the pH of the soil. We also completed a "feel test" with a ball of soil and determined what type of soil we had in our bed based off of if the ball of damp soil began to ribbon. After completing this assignment, we will have determined what nutrients make up the soil that is in our one bed and how we can amend our soil to benefit the surrounding crops and organisms.

Georgia Bennett