Bermuda Grass

Pictured below is a plant known as Bermuda Grass. On the farm, our class has been removing it, along with its roots before planting / double digging. 

Bermuda Grass is classified as an invasive species, meaning is can cause some trouble for native species that we would like to grow on the farm. Invasive species are known for competing with native species and often out-competing them. By removing this specific plant, along with its roots, we eliminate a risk of our crops dying due to a lack of resources and space in the soil. By growing crops without the presence of Bermuda Grass, it is more likely that the crops will receive nutrients and room without high levels of stress. 

Given that our farm at Redwood High School tries to grow food sustainably, a finite amount of resources can be used in the process. Removing invasive species, including but not limited to Bermuda Grass, will help conserve the resources that are being used on the farm because it will require less resources to grow the same amount of food. I hoping that by removing all of this grass (several pounds from my designated bed alone), the crops that we grow will not be as restricted. 

After having removed most of it, our group decided that we could begin to double dig without including too much of of this invasive species in our soil.

-Michael Ritter

A Day in the Life of the Farm

On the RHS farm, lots of work needed to be done. We started off with weeding the A beds- lots of work needed to be done to keep the beds in good shape. The sickles kept in the shed came into great use that day. The squash bed seemed to overflow into three surrounding beds, causing a harder time for some groups. But, we persisted and managed to clear all harmful weeds. Despite the strong heat beating down on the farmers, everyone seemed to have a good time helping take out the invasive specie. The heat at 101 hit us hard, though, causing us to sweat as we worked and to really appreciate the water kept on the farm.

We also spent lots of time double-digging our beds. In groups of three of four, we slowly made our way digging across the beds with our spade shovels and hand weeders to break up any dry dirt. Digging was a little hard: the soil was dry and hadn't been in too much use. But, we managed to get to the wetter part of the dirt and dig our way across.

We saw lots of growth in both the A and P beds: squash, strawberries, lavender, and many more plants were put out for the first sustag sale in front of the school. The farmers selling the product after school worked hard to explain our sustainable farming methods to buyers and to sell everything we had. Overall, we had a good first week on the farm and I think I speak for all of us when I say we're excited to see what this school year brings.

Addie K

Final week of sust ag

This week we had a lot going on on the farm. The sustainable agriculture students finished their final projects and they got a chance to present them on the farm. As a final project signs were put up at each row of beds to indicate the names of each row of beds. A beautiful mural was painted on the shed to represent sustainable agriculture at Redwood high school and the growing seasons. The hoop house got remodels to be more sustainable. A vineyard was planted and irrigation was installed along the outer side of the east fence of the farm. A wooden plaque with all the sustainable agriculture students names from this year was put up in the farm. Also the ceramics class put colorful ceramic fruit and vegetable shaped tiles along the pillars of the pergola at the front of the farm for decoration. We also had our last class harvest of lettuce which the sustainable agriculture students took home to their families. This year we put a lot into the farm and we have gotten great results.

 

Ariella Bellingham

 

The Moment We've All Been Waiting For!

       Currently the hoop house is being renovated by Declan, Max and with the help of James and Miles. Before the new covering went up the hoop house was being covered by a white tarp. The tarp was ripping where it had been resting on the bars that shaped the 'hoop' house. 

       When the tarp was off the hoop house the farm looked oddly naked. The new hoop house covering is a strong sheet plastic that is being set in place like shingles so that no water can leak inside and instead runoff the sides and soak into the soil.

       The renovation is also part of Declan and Max's final project, which I think was a great idea to upgrade our farm. The purchasing for the items used in renovating the hoop house completely dried our Sustainable Agriculture funds, so it is crucial that our seedlings and young plants flourish in the new hoop house. 

       - Dezire Celis 

On the Farm

Lots of things happened on the farm this week.  First off, there was lots of weeding that needed to be done.  Tall grass, bermuda grass, and all sorts of other weeds had sprung up all over the A beds as well as the first couple E beds.  Although we put lots of effort into pulling them out and hacking them away with grass whips, there is still much to be done.  There were were also a couple of small wasp nests forming under the benches as well as a rampant aphid infestation in a couple of the A beds (especially A13).  We worked to clear out the wasp nests and killed lots of aphids both by hand and with ladybugs.   Lots of our crops like the squash, melons, and strawberries in the A beds and the Strawberries in the hoophouse have been growing very well, and many strawberry plants are bearing fruit.  This week was a little more windy and less hot than last week, but students still came prepared with spring clothing, sunscreen, and water bottles.  

We have also been continuing to work on our final projects on block days.  A couple of students have been working on renovating the hoop house, and a couple others have been building an awning to provide some more shade on the farm.  Me and Don are continuing build our wooden bench and are getting permission slips signed to use electric saws.  

Altogether it's been a very productive week, but there's still much to be done.  

- Charlie

Good News

When I arrived at the FARM this morning, a red shouldered hawk flew off from the arbor with a vole in its beak.

It is nice to see the vole population being kept in check (and wary of predators) and the ecological system at work.

Not my picture, but this is the idea:


--Mr. Stewart

Springtime Push at the Farm

Springtime Push at the Farm

This week at the farm has been pretty hectic. This week the farm has sprung to life and a lot of Spring cleaning was needed. We had to help clean up the Ecology Garden and the Greenhouse which has been infested with wasps. Also, given all of the growth that has been going on we've really had to clean up our one beds. Some of our crops have been looking good on the farm which includes, strawberries, melons, and squash. This week also was very hot and the sunglasses, hats and sunscreen were brought back into action after the long winter.

During this week of studies we also have been keeping up with reading one hundred pages of a book of our choice. We got to choose the books on subjects of farming that we thought were interesting. Next week we will undergo a seminar and discuss what we've learned from these books.

Another assignment that has recently begun is our Final Projects. These projects will last us for basically the remainder of school. Some great progress has already started during this weeks allotted time. During this week we saw one of our students begin the process of bringing some much-needed shade to the Farm. Also, the hoop house is in the process of being renovated by a couple of students. 

Overall, it has been a great and productive start to the Spring season on the RHS Farm. 

—Josh