Bee Blog

Hello everyone!

This past Tuesday Redwood's bees were ready for pickup in Tennessee Valley. Our bees were purchased from a local beekeeper named Jennifer Berry. On Tuesday morning, I set the bees up in their hive on campus. I have gone back to visit them twice since then, and they seem very happy and busy making honey. Until our bees fill up the base box with honey, they will have access to a feeder to ensure that they have enough food to keep strong. To keep insects out of the hive, a downward facing metal layer has been placed in between the foundation box and the hive itself. Keep your fingers crossed for an abundance of RHS honey next year at the SustAg farmers markets!

Sincerely,

Elsa Davis

Amending soil

With stores limiting how many customers that be inside at a time, shopping has gone from a relatively easy task to something that can be a full-day outing. This in combination with the new recommendations to wear masks has made me want to get my produce from our yard instead of the store. Though we've grown rosemary and other herbs successfully in planter boxes, many of our planter boxes hadn't been tended to for a while and the soil looked dry and depleted of nutrients. To amend the soil and prepare it for the planting of new herbs like basil and other crops like tomatoes I added organic compost and some loam builder so my soil will retain nutrients and water more effectively. Additionally, I got out an old watering can to use in place of just a hose so the plants can benefit from more gentle watering and so there is less water waste. Hopefully, these steps will help my produce grow in a sustainable way while also letting me skip the trip to the store.

-Grace 

Salad Barrel

Due to corona virus we are all sheltered in place, so some things you can do to make this shelter in place a little more fun are start a garden or mini garden. My mom wanted to do this so I said I would help and we planted basil and some lettuces in this old planter barrel thingy. It has been pretty fun, just last night my mom and I made a salad with the lettuce we grew. It was pretty rewarding to be able to eat what you have just grown. This could also be a good idea if you don't want to go to the grocery store for certain items, you can grown them yourself. This is also a great way to save money during these times of uncertainty for many. It's really easy to start your own backyard mini garden, all you need is some dirt and seeds, patience helps also. I hope everyone is staying safe out there, if you can do it then get out and grow.--Chris

My Backyard

With school closed for the rest of the year, sustainable agriculture students are unable to visit the Redwood Farm. However, this closure pushes students to apply what they have learned throughout the year about sustainability home. For example, this past week I have been planting using Grow Biointensive methods in my own backyard. I, as I am sure many other students are, am planning on utilizing my new farming skills and making a change at home. While all of the students are missing the Sust. Ag. farm dearly, this can be seen as a great opportunity for individual responsibility when it comes to our effect on the environment. Below I have attached a photo of the planting bed my family and I built this week! - Sedona

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Materials for home planting

With so much free time, now is the perfect time for everyone, not just sustainable agriculture students, to plant spring seedlings and take advantage of the nice weather! Many of the necessary supplies to start seedlings can already be found around the house. If purchasing seeds is not an option, they can be harvested from produce, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries. Additionally, cardboard egg cartons are perfect to sprout the seeds before transplanting them into a larger pot or bed. To jumpstart the process, seedlings can be purchased directly from farmers market vendors. I was able to purchase pepper, tomato, and parsley plants from one of the vendors. To maximize production, the grow biointensive method can still be applied at home. Below is a picture of the parsley plants purchased from the farmers market. -Lauren

Home Garden

How to Start a Sustainable Lifestyle During a Global Pandemic

Unfortunately, due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak, Redwood has shut its doors and the farm is no longer accessible. As boredom and restlessness to get back to the farm have ensued here is a list of tasks to keep your mind off of the current climate and shift towards growing sustainably at home!

 

Start to grow plants of your own! The photo above shows three of the nine bush bean plants I planted as soon as I heard the news that school would be cancelled. The plants are ready to be transplanted into raised beds in my backyard which will be constructed over the weekend; our first step to growing sustainably at home. 

Start composting! Compost is beneficial to any home garden and can transform bad soil into fertile, highly productive soil in no time. Any food scraps can be mixed with other organic waste such as yard scraps, sticks, and compostable containers. With enough space, a small pile could be constructed with just sticks, dried organic material, fresh organic material, and water. An old trash bin could do the same job, creating fresh, ready to use compost in as little as around 25 days. 

Lastly, we can all remain more conscious of our environmental footprint. During this time at home, try something new. Try creating that garden in your backyard you have waited so long to make. Try eating food from local sources by taking the time to visit an open-air farmer's market. Try spending some time outdoors (6 feet away from anybody) enjoying the natural surroundings our beautiful county has to offer as an inspiration to do your part in protecting what our planet has to offer.

Nick S

2019-20 4º Sustainable Agriculture

New Reality

The day is April 2, 2020 and the farm is going through a time it has
never seen before. With all students asked to stay home and school
being cancelled the farm is being unattended for. Even students have
attempted to ask the principal to work on the farm but no students are
allowed on campus. The farm is unattended for but the chickens (minus
the passing of one) are in the care of Mr. Stewart. The weather has
been a variety of bright sunlight to full rainy days and with this the
farm should be attaining it's adequate amount of rain and sunshine. As
we all pray and hope for the safety of the farm there's little to
nothing we can do. To make-up for our time missed on the farm students
are asked to work on their own farm if they have. I have seen friends
and myself spending a surplus of time on their farms with little we
are able to do during this time. -Jacob