This week in Sustainable Agriculture was heavily impacted by the fires that continue to rage in Northern California. Smoke from the fires have drifted and settled in Marin County and the surrounding areas, causing very unhealthy air pollution and ultimately affecting our time out on the farm. With the continued unhealthy air pollution, the TUHSD decided to cancel school on Friday which further affected our class time.
Despite our limited time on the farm, we did learn important information about how to create compost. Compost is an important organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. It acts as a sponge by retaining water which will limit the amount of watering the soil needs. On Wednesday, Mr. Stewart gathered the class to explain how to make compost. Compost consists of four layers: a base made out of branches to create a frame for the compost pile, followed by a layer of browns (dead plant material), then a layer of greens (fruit and vegetable waste), and finally a layer of water. These four layers are then repeated. Additionally, it is important to not include any invasive plants in the browns layer. If these are included, when the compost is spread across the desired area, it is essentially like spreading the invasive species across the area.
Cooper McLay
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