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