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.