It’s Finally Raining Again

Connor Moon

After a terrible fire season this year with over 250 thousand acres of burned land spread across the state, the rain has finally returned ridding us of the possibility for more fires and for its annual constant downpour until late spring. After the long drought that plagued the state not 5 years ago, we in Sustainable Agriculture are very grateful for its return. This is because of its effect on surrounding wildlife companions like birds and coyotes, who get rid of unwanted pests. The rainy season keeps keeps the coyotes numbers up, maintaining a healthy population control over deer, which are increasingly common and eat plants in the garden (Like our poor orchard. Rest in peace). Birds, rely on the rain to predict when mating season comes and use the opportunity to eat small pests that freshy after rain, sit on top of leaves exposed. Rain is pivotal to a sustainable garden and surrounding wildlife.

Rainy days and the end of an amazing Fall season

For the past 2 weeks Sustainable Agriculture students have been working hard in the classroom while rain delays them from enjoying the farm. It's officially winter season and students have many more rainy days to expect. Instead of waiting for the rain to end students have planted beans as a cover crop and concentrated on creating a project to instruct classmates on. This project is known as the One bed project. During this time we explain to our fellow classmates about how much we expected our yield to become and how much our actual yield was. Fortunately almost all beds had stable growth and expect to hit their goal as the school year comes to an end. At the same time students shared how they were able to obtain these yields through the intensive work they completed on the bed. Through their labor students were able to create fertile soil ready for planting. Finally the projects ended with what they were going to plant through the winter. Most of the crops were ones underground so rain would not affect its growth. Overall the farm has had great progress and continues to head towards the goals put out for them.--Matt B

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Looking back...

At the beginning of the year, when we first received our group one beds, there was nothing but leftovers from last years groups left to show for on our beds. My group had a dying tomato plant, a basil plant and a little bit of celery. Our group planted potato, lettuce, garlic, beans and a sunflower to top it off at the end of our bed. Everything has grown well except for the beans, we haven't seen any signs of growth yet but hope to see some soon. This picture is of our bed the first day after we started weeding and putting in new soil.

Owen Miller

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One Beds and Pests

    This week in Sustainable Agriculture, we have started working on our final one bed presentations. It has been a great opportunity to reflect on our year so far as we think about how much all of our one beds have changed! Now that we have entered the rainy season, our farm days may be limited or cut short, however, we are grateful for the nutrients the rain brings and the water we could save! This Tuesday, we were able to go out to the farm to check up on everything after a long week off, and we were met with a sad surprise. It seems as if over break, something ate most of our class beets. The lucky unaffected ones were harvested for this week's market, to make sure our surprise companion does not make their return and finish them all off. We are trying to stay positive! If the weather allows for harvesting, we will be holding our semester's last market day this coming friday.  We hope that it will be a successful market, since you can make many fun dishes with our yummy food, as we all got to try during our last farm to fork, completed over break. See you next week! 

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Flooding Causes Problems For School Chickens

Jackson W

Redwood's new Buff Orpington chickens, named Lil' Peep, Chicki Minaj, and Chickira, have been getting used to their new home on the farm over the past few weeks. They are less fearful of students and more comfortable being picked up or hand-fed. However the rain this week combined with high tides have caused some problems for the chickens, as their run has been flooding lately! Our brave birds like to forage for bugs that the rains drive to the surface, so they've been wading around in the water, risking hypothermia if their feathers get too wet. The farm is in the process of looking for concrete blocks which planks can be laid over to create a floor for the birds. Hopefully in the future the chickens won't have to risk getting their feathers wet when they go foraging after a rainstorm.

Rain Day!

Unfortunately the Sustainable Agriculture class was not able to be out on the garden today harvesting the crops for market day. While we won't get to harvest we don't have to worry about coming in and watering our crops! As a matter of fact market day has been moved too next Friday so be sure to let friends and family know. Despite the market being postponed Mr. Stewart is still selling and hand delivering heads of cabbages to teacher, so make sure they all know. While we weren't on the farm today we did have a lot of in class time to focus on our one bed calculation and the one bed presentation. After a successful work period we were treated to the end of the honey bee movies. -Mo

Successful Lettuce Delivery and Upcoming Market News

On Friday, December 7th, 2019, Sustainable Agriculture students got to participate in a very successful lettuce delivery! Conclusively, we delivered about 40 lettuce heads to staff and faculty members on Redwood campus. We harvested these lettuce heads, grown with lots of care and love, from our very own beds at the RHS farm using sickles. Luckily, there is more to look forward to from the Sustainable agriculture family... In fact, there is a market scheduled for this Friday, the 13th, where many more fresh harvested items can be purchased. Check out other blog entrees to see what you can make at home with a variety of the items found at our market that we have already tried out for you! Regardless, you can never go wrong with the delicious crops that we grow at the farm. You can find out for yourself at the market during 7th period or after school hours by the flagpole in the front lot. Hope to see you there! :)

-Olivia Winterhalter

Scents of a sustainable Thanksgiving roam the hallways of Redwood High School on November 20!

Mason L

On Wednesday, November 20, several classes got the opportunity to partake in a Gordon Ramsay level cooking competition. Blood, sweat, and tears were put into the effort with the hope of taking home the gold, extra credit points. Individual class periods consisting of individual groups worked tirelessly to prepare a dish that was of a Thanksgiving theme, but consisted of zero meat. This brought for many creative ideas and new tastes that were introduced to the students during the tasting at the end. According to Mr. Stewart some of the dishes were better than anything he had ever tried before. One meal in particular that took home 1st place for its class period was "Giving thanks to Nick Brier." This was one example of the many Michelin 3-Star dishes that were created!

Iron Chef 2

This Week in SustAg all classes participated in an iron chef cook off, where everybody in the class paired up into individual groups, all groups making an organic meal that would be judged by mr. Stewart and two other qualified judges, the teachers assistants. This week the theme for our cook off was thanksgiving. Groups were allowed to bring organic materials from outside of the classroom as well as harvesting materials from the farm beds to add into the meal. One new item added to the iron chef menu for cooking were chicken eggs, the chickens have recently begun laying them and the first laid egg was used in the iron chef cook off this week. An example of the typical meals made in the cook offs is the one My group prepared a vegetarian stuffing using an egg, jerusalem artichoke, celery, vegan sausage, and spices. Everyone enjoyed getting to cook as well as eat the meals they made, a unique opportunity you wouldn't get to try in other classes -- Dylan

Update

bodhi

> Out on the Redwood Farm, 4th period has had exceedingly fast growth
> rates in our One Beds. We have been harvesting the outside leaves of
> the lettuce, and we still have an abundance growing in our bed. Our
> class beds have all been weeded, aerated and amended with compost.
> Most groups have planted seeds and some have sprouted. We have also
> started a new compost pile for the month of November. The chickens
> have become habituated with us will now eat out of our hands and one
> will even walk up to us to get attention.

Giving a tour of the farm

This week, 6th period Sustag had the opportunity to show a group of kids from Del Mar middle school around the farm. The kids were from all grades and were in a class that focused on the environment. The kids were split up into groups of 3-4 and then they were paired with a one bed group. Each group showed the kids around the farm. Talking about their farm jobs, what they had grown, and about having the chickens. My group was the compost crew and we showed two 8th graders and one seventh grader how to create the compost piles by the hoop house. My group members also showed the kids the tool shed and told them about what tools are important for certain things. The reason that this class from Del Mar came to Redwood was because they have hopes of building a farm at their school. Hopefully they were able to gain some understanding on how to maintain a sustainable farm. 

-Jay Mcconnell

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Bed Upkeep and Farm Maintenance

This week on the farm did not involve the introduction of any new beds, trips, or market prep. This week's classes focused rather on maintaining our current projects. After getting assigned their class beds and planting in them about two weeks ago, students are continuing to water and pay close attention to how their seedlings are doing. In my group's class bed, A5 South, we planted around 24 purple kale seedlings. These kales were transferred from flats, where we began growing them weeks ago. We were initially concerned for our kale as our group has seen little to no growth in the crops since planting them. However, Mr. Stewart assured us that the slow growth is normal because of our late Fall planting. We will continue to water and care for our plants throughout the season and will hopefully see more growth when the weather gets warmer again. If the kale shows no progress in the next few weeks, we will have to pull it from our bed and plant something else. Though unfortunate, this is not uncommon and shows us the reality of growing these kinds of crops during winter. 

Also this week, we worked in our groups on our somewhat new management jobs. My group is Companions so we spent a portion of the block day looking around the farm, where we found Earthworms, Rollie Pollies, and Cucumber Beetles. We also found a Green Cricket on one of the trees near our bed and what we believe was an Ear Wig larva in our group bed's soil.

-Tessa

 

Companions Scavenger Hunt!

This week we had a late start to week due to unexpected power outages but we got right back to tending to our one beds and class beds on Thursday. My bed group has the class bed D1, the flower bed, to prepare this bed we pulled the bermuda grass and other weeds from it so that we could broadcast flower seeds across the bed. Besides our class bed we have been researching inside and outside of the classroom different companions that are a vital part of our farm and the ecosystem. We have learned some are pests and some are helpful as well as how to identify them while we work on the farm. As we learned about different weeds like bermuda grass, spotted cat's ear, fennel, purslane and many more we drew them so that we could identify them. We also drew animal companions such as cucumber beetles, aphids, worms and more. We put our new knowledge to the test on friday by completing a scavenger hunt. The goal was to collect 10 different companions on the farm and present them to Mr. Stewart. Our group collected, spotted cat's ear, bermuda grass, purslane, pantain, willow weed, beetle, worm, roly poly, crab grass, and nutsedge. - Giselle Z

New beds and one beds

Currently, on the farm, every student has just got assigned a new bed and a new management job ranging from the water crew to management crew and many more. Currently, in our one beds, which are sixty square feet, we are watering and weeding and trying to set the best opportunity for our plants to grow and eventually be sold at our markets. In our one beds, my group at the beginning of the year planted potatoes, leaf lettuce beans and kale that was fully grown from a group the prior year.  

Now with our new beds, we have just finished clearing the weeds from them and now we are beginning to plant or maintain what was already planted therefrom, prior groups. 

To begin the semester I was the watering crew, where we handled the drip irrigation and anything to do with water around the farm. I have recently switched to the companion group. Their job is to weed anywhere that needs weeding and write down any organisms they see around the farm. Every student will have a chance to experience every job at least one time throughout the year.

Kane Lauterman

         

Market Preparation and Companions Update

With the recent power outages, our new Market Day this month has been moved to Friday, November 8th. This week, we caught up on farm work and prepared to harvest. Items available at the market this week are pumpkins, lettuce, beets, herbs, flowers, kale and more fall crops. These have all been growing on the farm notably. For each piece of produce harvested, it's weight and crop category are recorded. These are kept as records for future reference. We have also focused on companions this week in class. We conducted an Area Search in both the farm and nearby marsh. A few of the organisms recorded in the farm included a falcon, house finches, and geese. Companions in the marsh included egrets, gulls, and ducks. This activity illustrated how our farm works to mimic nature by allowing any and all companions to come and go as they please.

-Kayla Bennett

Trip to the RHS marsh

On block day of sustainable agriculture this week, our class presented our one-beds and took a trip to the RHS marsh. As we are all aware, the one-bed projects have been an integral part of our exposure to practicing sustainable agriculture. Being able to share our one-beds was a transparent way to compare and contrast the planting techniques, soil types, and overall aesthetic present in our farm. Following the one-bed presentations, we walked to the RHS marsh. The objective of this block day adventure was to compare and contrast the marsh and RHS farm while studying plants and animals that are present. I, along with many of my classmates, appreciated the serenity at the marsh, and being quiet was crucial so that animals wouldn't be disturbed. I saw many black phoebes, a few black-necked stilts, and an abundance of fennel and pickleweed. Shortly after, we went to the farm and took note of the naturally occurring plants and animals which excludes the chickens and any purposely planted crops. I saw many spotted cat's ear which is an invasive weed and some geese flying over the farm. Although the RHS marsh and farm have obvious differences, the farm does a great job mimicking nature and using sustainable practices. - Elena

Companion Scavenger Hunt

What is a companion? By definition it is

 a pair of things that are intended to complement or match each other. On the farm we have all kinds of companions big or small, but they all have an effect. We had to find 2 animal and 8 plant companions. On the list we received in class it had its "outliers", meaning that there are animals that would be considered rare to see on the farm. All the bed groups went off around the farm looking for the plants or animals on the list. Once you thought you had identified the plants or animals correctly you would go tell Mr. Stewart. He would then grade you off of how many plants or animals you identify properly. Overall it was a fun, and educational game

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-Isaak Kreft

Bed Update!

It has been roughly 2 months since we first planted seeds into our group beds which have all been maintained and cared for. From my group bed we have harvested basil and arugula that  were sold at the market. The beds are looking much cleaner than they were at the beginning of the year, when you could barely see the paths that divide the beds. Now all the group beds in the Sustag farm are preparing to harvest particular crops that will be sold at the Sustag market. Every bed has had it's soil tested for it's N-P-K values and acidity levels. N-P-K are the essential macronutrients every plant and soil needs to survive and prosper, Nitrogen is responsible for the growth of healthy leaves on a plant. Phosphorus helps the root grow healthy and strong, while Potassium helps the overall functions of the plant. We tested to make sure that the soil in our beds had a balanced amount of each, if it did not we added more N-P-K depending on what value you needed most. Now that our beds have been amended with the proper macronutrients and are in all in a balanced healthy state we will continue to take care of them and prepare for future harvest days. --Blake

Power Outage Water Stoppage

Just this last week we were out of school monday, tuesday, and wednesday due to a power outage, so we missed time on the farm and in class for Sust. Ag. This power outage also caused one major issue on the Farm. Our automatic watering system was now turned off, this meant we had to go to the farm to water our beds to ensure our plants stayed happy and healthy. We have an automatic watering system on our farm and it helps to water every bed by using a process called drip irrigation. However this great system was useless with the power out, so students had to go in and water their beds with the watering cans and hoses we have on the farm. We went back to the farm Thursday in class and all the beds were doing fine so the issue was thankfully avoided. This just goes to show you can't always rely on technology to do things for you, make sure to follow the Sust. Ag. Instagram as well @rhssustag.

Chris Fuegner

Outreach!

Companions!

This week was wonky because of the county wide power outages, and we only had school for two days. On Thursday in class, we learned about companions. We made a key of companions in our journals so we can spot invasives, pests, and edible plants out on the farm. Friday was a farm day, and we did a companions scavenger hunt. We used our notes to find 10 companions from the farm, and then we had to present them to Mr. Stewart. The rest of the farm day was spent working on our class beds, and our one beds. My class bed is D4, and my groups work consisted of heavy weeding and sprinkling flower seeds in the east section of the bed. 

-Luke McLay

(Spotted cucumber beetle)

Compost delivery

Mason Bueman

On the farm we have recently received some new stuff, smelly stuff according to the swim coach; We have received new compost. Compost is crucial on our organic farm. The compost has also come in good timing with the start of our class beds. Compost is crucial for our farm because it enriches soil, helps retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests. Encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material. Reduces methane emissions from landfills and lowers our carbon footprint. We also make our own compost on the farm however we don't have enough to fulfill the needs of our farm so we need to buy some now and then.

Class beds

This week on the farm we continued to work on our class beds. These beds are much larger than our normal group beds and are shared with one other group. My group was assigned bed C4 north while another group worked on the south side of C4. At first, our bed was overgrown with bermudagrass as well as sunflowers and pumpkins, and there was even this really big pumpkin growing. We kept the big pumpkin for a while in our bed up until this week, but we had to pull the weeds and plants to make room for newer plants. Once our bed was plant free and aerated we began to lay down fertilizer. When our soil was ready we planted fava beans and onions watering them afterward. Furthermore, we laid down cardboard and wood chips in the pathways. --Rebecca

Crop Families

This week in class we made Crop Family Report Presentations where each group could pick different crop families out of the list of families Chenopodia (Amaranthaceae), Apiaceae (Umbellifera), Asteraceae (Compositae), Allium, Brassica, Cucurbitaceae, Legume (Fabaceae), Solanacea, Gramineae (Poaceae), Lamiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Rosaceae, Liliaceae and make a report of the family. Once we picked are family we would find the crops, how to care for the family, the local info (from farm or local farm), challenges (pests), and the historical info on the family. Each group member also made a crop example and picked one crop from the family to research. Each family has a different types of crops. A little information on some families like the Cucurbitaceae are made up Watermelon, Cucumber, Squash, Pumpkin and the Gramineae family crops are wheat, oats, barley, and rice. The Chenopodia crops are beets chard quinoa and Solanaceae crops are tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes. There are many more families that have different crops groups. As we finished the presentations each group would rotate to other groups and took notes on what their families crops were and extra interesting information on the family. Then next week are notes will come in use when we have a crop family scavenger hunt in the farm. 

-Rylee Sankowich

Class Beds!

The past couple weeks in class, we have started to work on our class beds. Along with our personal beds, we have to now take care of another plot of land in the farm. These new beds need a lot of work to be rehabilitated to be used again. First, the removal of dead plants, weeding and aeration are needed to help the soil become healthy again. New soil with fertilizer is also added to help the beds and the crops in those beds become healthy. My class bed, C2 will be growing kale this cycle. After the kale regrows, it will then be able to be sold at market days, and to the CEA. SuStag is all about sustainability, and by selling our crops and adding them to the CEA's salad bar, it reinforces Redwood sustainability as a whole, and we are able to have more money for further class projects. We cannot wait to see how all the class beds turn out and are excited to have a new partner in the Sustainable Agriculture family.

New Beds New Jobs

More than a month after getting our new plants into the ground the Sustag farm is sprouting up for another year. The lettuce is growing larger by the day, and the tomatoes are looking ripe and let me tell you how big of a bite I'd take out of one of those puppies. A big one. Mr. Stewart has been very helpful in getting us off our feet with our recently assigned, class beds. My group and I must've been given one fertile bed, because the kale on it looks like it could support a tree swing. Some groups' beds are rather weed infested, but judging by the speed at which our one-beds were put into shape, I have no doubt that my fellow Sustaggers will have them in prime condition in no-time. Just this week we did the first rotation of jobs on the farm. Every bed group gets a job for over a month, which could be compost crew, companions crew, watering crew, plants crew, or maintenance crew, each with specific jobs that are crucial in the functionality of the farm. I started out as part of the maintenance crew, weeding pathways and keeping order in the tool shed by cleaning it, making sure all the tools are returned and in good condition. I look forward to the coming months in Sustainable Agriculture where I am taking on a role as one of the watering crew managers, and I am confident that I will keep everyone's plants well hydrated. 

Hudson Brekhus

Water Conservation Blog-Pictures!

Maddie Loebbaka

Positive Progression

It has now been over one month, since we were first granted our own sixty square foot beds. On August 28th, the sustag students created groups, ventured out to the farm, and were given their beds. Most beds looked like a disaster. Different greens sprouting out in every direction. Weeds were commonly found in each patch of dirt. After some knowledge of the farming tools was demonstrated by each student, farming began! For many (and especially my group) it took a long time to weed out and remove all invasive species. However once that was completed the path to a biointensive garden began. We aerated soil, spread compost, and added new soils to our beds. Once our beds seemed somewhat organized planting was the next step. My group was able to plant lettuce, garlic, onions, beans, and potatoes. These plants have slowly grown every single day with water and care from each member of my group. Arriving at the farm each day and seeing the growth in all of the plants is quite rewarding. Everyone's beds began as heaping piles of greens and grasses. But now everyone has managed to start their own gardens. The farm will soon be producing harvest after harvest.

-Zach Ginsburg

Crop Families

In Class on Tuesday, we had a scavenger hunt where our goal as a group was to identify 10 different types of plants on the farm. We worked with our bed groups, and were given 30 minutes to complete the task. My group worked really hard to find all the different types of plant species, and we prevailed. The families that we found were Allium, Solanaceae, Cucuburbaceae, Legumes, Poaceae, Liliaceae, Brassicaceae, Apiaceae, Chenopodia, and Lamiaceae.  A challenge that we faced was finding a leaf from a liliaceae plant. Also in class on Tuesday we were given our class beds. Our job when we first we first received beds was to remove the corn stalks and start cleaning up the bed. 

Water Conservation!

 This week we are coming to the end of our first management jobs of the semester. I was in the water crew and was in charge of watering the plants, checking irrigation, and managing the reuse of water. Through this job, I learned in-depth techniques on the proper amount of water for plants of different maturities, and the little things that can be done around the farm (or a home garden!) to save water. Primarily, I had no idea that mature plants could survive on the little amount of water that drip irrigation provides. However, I learned that the drops throughout the day are more than enough to sustain a mature plant. In addition, there are many techniques to watering that save time and money. For instance, an English-style watering can is optimal for watering young plants because of the way that the water comes out, similar to rain. It has a larger watering area, so more plants are watered at a time, with less water used! One of my favorite water conservation methods we use on the farm is the water-catching bucket under the sink that can reuse the grey water for watering the large perennial plants or trees and vines in the orchard. It's my favorite method because of how simple and easy it is, but with such a big effect!

Maddie Loebbaka

Scavenger Hunt on the Farm!

For the last couple of weeks, students in groups of three created presentations about one specific plant family. The included families were: solanacea, chenopodium, apiaceae, cucurbitaceae, allium, legumes, asteraceae, brassica, liliacea and gramineae. The presentations included background information, pictures, planting instructions, recipes, and more. The class then held a gallery walk and students were able to take notes on each one. So, with the students new knowledge on the plant families (and some help from their notes), they completed their first scavenger hunt. The task at hand was to gather leaves from 10 of the 12 plant families that they had studied and learned about over the past couple of weeks, show them to Mr. Stewart, and without using their notes, list off the names of each family that they had gathered leaves for. It presented no challenge for many of the groups as the presentations had been in debt and provided sufficient knowledge to complete the scavenger hunt. Many students were nervous at first but it turned out to be a fun time in the end.

By: Sander Leszczynski

Calm Cooking

Welcome to the Sustainable Agriculture Page! Sustainable Agriculture also called "SustAg" by us talented individuals is all about using the minimum to create steady and sustainable grow for a long period of time. One great example of that if last week with our Iron Chef contest. Students separated into  four groups of eight. Those groups later came up with Ideas on how to incorporate crops into dishes that could be sustainably made with local resources. Groups were allowed to bring items from their house and supermarket but were encouraged to use the least amount from there and most from the garden. Day Two came around and the cooking commenced! Everyone was running around and screaming to one another like they were going to die the next day. While Mr.Stewart was getting into students' faces and calling their dishes garbage. WAIIIT, WAIT WAIT, That was just a scene from the normal Iron Chef my bad. Sustainable Iron Chef was calm and peaceful, students were laughing around and having a good time while cooking their food. While Mr. Stewart sat diligently waiting for the gourmet food that was about to enter his body. Each group finished a bit earlier than the other, but every team finished in the 45minute limit. My group made Bruschetta made from tomatoes grown in our personal gardens, herbs in our farm, Bread from a local bakery, Olive oil/Salt which was used by all groups, and strawberries which were picked fresh from our farm as well. Our team ended up falling just a bit short for first place, but it was definitely the most liked dish from our peers as we ended up having nothing left on the plate besides our sauce. All in all Iron chef was an amazing time, and it's definitely different from any other class because it's a breath of fresh air.

    Before Mr.Stew ate our dish            Mr.Stew crying over how great it is!

Hopefully you consider to do some sustainable acts yourself or even join SustAg in the future!

-Joshua Santos

Crop Families

This week in Sustag we have been working a lot on our crop family presentations, and we are learning more about the different families of crops and how to identify them. Through our presentations, we are teaching each other about the different families of plants and their characteristics, when to plant them, care and common pests of the different plants in each family. My group is the Apiaceae family and includes common plants like carrots, celery, and dill. We have gone through all of the old data from the SustAg farm, and we have actually planted and harvested a lot of these crops. We have harvested 15.96 pounds of CAL crops of celery this semester, and 18.12 pounds of COMP crops of celery, as well as 8.35 pounds CAL crop of carrots this semester, and 0.28 pounds COMP crop of carrots. I have included a picture of kale in my bed, which is in the Cruciferae family of plants and strawberries in my bed, which are in the Rosaceae family. We have been out on the farm watering a lot and taking care of our seedlings and they are starting to come up! 

-Sarah Young

Chickens

The SUSTAG Garden has recently introduced 3 new chickens to the farm! Recently named by the students, they go by Chicky Minaj, Lil Peep, and Young sLayer (or other?). Although they are a big responsibility for the students and teachers of the garden, they do provide many beneficial uses. They enjoy eating weeds and pests around the garden and introduce another way to keep the garden clean and regulated in an efficient way that doesn't require much micromanagement. The output is another added bonus, as their waste becomes fertilizer and supports plant life in their coop and for the rest of the garden. Students have also enjoyed the company of the chickens and are weaning them into life with humans as close companions. Regular holding and human interaction will get them used to humans and keep stress and frustration levels down when humans have to interact with them. Although not much time has passed, students are becoming closer and are learning and understanding more about chicken's characteristics and instincts. They will continue being a resource learning tool throughout the rest of the year. 

-Tyler Woods

Senior

Let The Iron Chef Begin

This week in SustAg marked a very important day. It was our very first IRON CHEF!!! The theme for the first iron chef was Herbs. The rules were simple, we had to make a dish that included herbs from around our farm. Our choices of herbs were mint, chocolate mint, rosemary, basil, oregano, chives and lemon verbena. These were the only herbs available for us that were on the farm. Aside from that we could bring anything else from our  own gardens or from the stores. My group agreed to make a brusketa made out of sourdough bread, monsterella cheese, tomatoes and basil. Only the Basil and tomatoes were from the farm. We put olive oil on the pan and put the bread on top of it and let it cook till it was nice and crispy and then added the cheese and to top it off we mixed tomatoes and basil together and put it on top of the cheese. At the end of the Iron Chef we did not win but another lucky group did…. So Congrats to Jordan's group. 

By Eduardo Diaz 

Planting!

These past two weeks, SustAg has begun planting their fall crops! Everyone on the Farm has been working really hard to plant the most sustainable bed. Each group is making sure their crops are planted as closely as possible so our crop output is greater. Some popular plants being planted are potatoes, beans, onions (lots of onions), kale, and garlic. Everyone is really excited to see their plants start growing. We all took pictures of our beds to see the difference in how they look later. Planting was a lot of fun, but the most exciting part of this week was our Iron Chef competition. 4 groups competed head to head to win the best meal deemed by Mr. Stewart. Each group made delicious and visually appealing meals with eggs being the favorite dish to cook in 5th period. In the end, only one group came on top and were crowned victors. It was a lot of fun learning how to cook more sustainably! -Sophia

The Sustainable Agriculture Farm's Pond

By: Jack Finnegan

Before you are greeted by the dozens of neatly spaced beds, each containing various crops that are grown organically and through biointensive methods, you are welcomed by our small, self sustaining pond. This pond is home to a handful of small goldfish. These omnivores eat the plants, insects, zooplankton, and the detritus that is found in the pond. Due to the algae and plants in the pond, along with being instinctively scared of predators that hover above them (birds or racoons) these little fish are hard to find on most days, however when you are able to see them you can see that their small, 2-4cm body is covered in bright orange scales that shimmer in the sun. The plants in the pond do not just provide a pleasing visual aesthetic to the farm, but also, with the help of algae that is also found in the pond, provide dissolved oxygen for the ponds grilled inhabitants. The pond is a great addition to our farm for a couple reasons. Besides it being nice visual aesthetic and offering something unique to our farm, it also promotes biodiversity in and around the farm, along with providing residential birds and animals with a source of freshwater. This pond was created by one of Sustainable Agricultures own students, Owen Henderson, who is a fishing enthusiast and an outspoken person in regards to sustainability and conservation of our land, food, and our marine and terrestrial species. He is now studying fisheries biology at Louisiana State University. 

Iron Chef #1

Iron Chef #1

This past week in Sustainable Agriculture we performed our first Iron Chef competition. The theme of the challenge was "Fall Herbs" due to the plentiful supply of these plants on our farm. Rosemary, basil, mint, and chives were common herbs used among the four groups. Each group had roughly eight members as the classroom only has the capacity for four cooking/prepping stations. We were told about this assignment a few days before in case anyone wanted to bring in any produce or food that wasn't available to us from the farm. On the day of the competition, Mr. Stewart gave us time to harvest and record any produce that we wanted to use for our dish. Aside from the herbs, lemons and other fruits such as strawberries and apples were popular additions to each group's dish, providing a good aide on the presentation aspect of this assignment. Each of the four dishes were tasted by Mr. Stewart and graded based on their taste, presentation, sustainability, preparation, and cleanup. In the classroom, each group was given a hot plate, a few knives, a plate, a mixing bowl, and access to their own sink. Only two people from each group were allowed to be using the hot at a time so the rest of the members either helped clean up or prepare other parts of the dish. We had roughly 40 minutes to prepare our meals, and I was pretty impressed with what each team was able to make. In the end, one team was crowned the winner for their excellent and thorough use of "Fall Herbs" and were awarded a few extra credit points for their victory.

By: Ryan Carlson