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

Movie Time!

Lights, camera, action! As we jump into our new unit, Soil, the Sustainable Agriculture class relaxes as we all get to enjoy watching a movie that encompasses the different types of soils. While watching Symphony of the Soil, the class learns about how soil forms and what it contributes to the environment and our everyday lives. Soil makes this thin layer of crust for life to be possible and for all of us to survive. We also got to learn the three main important components of soil: nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon dioxide. All these are elements that make our soil effective for our food and plants. Prairie soil, also known as mollisol, is the most productive soil in the world; the USA has the most of it (about 22%.) By understanding the elaborate relationships and mutuality between soil, water, the atmosphere, plants and animals, we can appreciate the complex and dynamic nature of this precious resource, and we can become more aware of how we handle ourselves with it. In the film, it examines human relations with soil and the key problems that we are making to destroy it. Filmed on four continents by scientists and farmers, Symphony of the Soil is a educating and mind blowing movie that highlights the possibilities of healthy soil conducted by humans and keeping our planet sustainable at the same time.

Mary Tarantino

New Year, More (Class) Crops!

This week, in Sustainable Agriculture, we had a "Pop Quiz." With all students nervous and anxious, we found out that this "Pop Quiz" was a stepping stone to the creation of our class beds. In order to complete these class beds, every group had to double dig ⅓ of a bed using our knowledge we had gained from the one-bed projects. After we double-dug and fertilized, we planted our plants that would become crops representing our class. Personally, my group planted arugula and a small amount of lettuce. While planting arugula, I learned that it is essential to bury the roots in the soil (and not expose them to air for long when transferring) and then water the plants in. I learned that a good test to ensure that you planted the plants correctly is to make sure that the plant is sticking straight up in the air and not falling side to side. Creating these class beds represents our class as a whole, and even though we have our one bed projects, these class beds will bring our class together and will allow us to have one common goal. Seeing growth in beds planted by students is one of the most gratifying things at a school. Usually, classes are sitting at a desk taking notes on a lecture every day, however, this class is different. Our project is to grow a sustainable garden, and doing it as a class makes it that much better.

-Jackson Barry

Compost

This week on the farm we had a focus on how to create compost. Luckily my groups maintenance job was compost so if you can't remember we learned in class I can give you a refresher. To start off a compost pile you must start with a layer of sticks 1-4 inches, this step is very important because this is the only time we will do this step. This layer of sticks allows air pockets to be created to allow room for organisms to move. The next step is to add 4 inches of browns making sure to separate out any invasive species because we don't want those getting into our compost. Next you will want to go get the food scraps from the green bucket at the cea to add greens to your pile. You'll probably need to dump all of what's in the green bucket to get the right amount because we don't normally get that many greens.After all the greens are added you have to inoculate the pile with a handful of already made compost to introduce new organisms. Once inoculated just water and repeat with browns.

The First Signs Of Life!!!

This week on the farm all of the groups have noticed their first signs of growth from one of the many crops that they are growing. After almost a month of learning the various tools we will use, how to prepare soil for planting, what crops grow best and double digging we have finally seen some of the results of our hard work. The beans grew the most some of them being almost 4 inches tall while the other crops were just beginning to sprout up. The only crop that didn't seem to grow was the potatoes. We learned that to have sucessful crops you must water everyday because when they are at the beginning stages, the eragation may not be enough especially during the hot summer months. You should water gently and make sure not to drown them as once you start seeing puddles lasting longer than 6 seconds you should stop watering. Mulch is a great idea for preventing weeds and unwanted invasive plants Mulch also provides many nutrients to the soil and encourages garden friendly organisms like worms which fertilize the soil. To keep out pests using a rock barrier or wall is a great idea. Rats are the most common pest found on the farm. Not only does this keep out pests but it keeps things from escaping the bed and separates the bed from the surrounding environment. Next week we will learn more information on how to care for our beds and how to grow strong and healthy crops

Zach A

Iron Chef Competition Comes Down to the Wire

On the Wednesday and Thursday block periods this week students competed in an Iron Chef style cook-off. The theme of the showdown: Kale. Using this fresh Kale harvested from our garden and a variety of other organic ingredients, the competition was on. Each group was expected to provide a vegetarian meal that would be critiqued on taste, presentation, and overall incorporation of Kale. With 45 minutes to cook, and groups of 6 people, it would take a collaborative effort to come out on top. With so many choices for what to make, what would each team decide on? After 45 minutes of dicing, frying, and plating, their time was up. Each of the 4 groups offered up their kale-inspired meals to be critiqued by Mr. Stewart and a second year student. As the judges licked their lips and scribbled down notes about each meal, students watched in excitement, waiting to hear their dish named victorious. The judges were torn. All 4 of the groups had equally impressed them, and they could not decide on a winner. In an effort to provide closure to a group of restless teens, Mr. Stewart called for an anonymous class vote. As a result, a winner had been named and the competition was complete.

- Jared Robinow

Iron Chef

This week we had Iron Chef! One of the most looked forward activities of the year! Where students come together fight for the win of best dish. The main focus for this challenge was to incorporate kale. This kale was grown from Redwoods farm itself! Each student was given around 45 minutes to make there dish. Every team was given a hot stove top, some kitchen utensils and access to anything grown in the farm. The student's had to use their imaginations beyond kale in order to take the victory. Mr. Stewart was the one to impress. Being the judge of the competition. The end result was extraordinary! Each team in all periods gave it their all and made spectacular dishes. For example in fifth period the winning dish was an omelette, kale chips, and fruit. And in fourth period, a group made kale pancakes! Iron chef was a success! Till next time!

Zoe