Thursday, April 25, 2013

Real Life Sustainability

The Green LIONS Garden Group visited New Earth Farm this week in Pungo, farm of Farmer John. Despite the unseasonably cool temperatures and the rain the students remained cheerful, interested and excited to explore the farm.

We started off with an introduction to the Community Development International Virginia Educational Farm and the larger farm property by the farm manager Kevin Jamison.  He talked to the students about the art of growing food organically. He showed the students the difference in the plant coloring at the property line of New Earth and where it met the property line of the neighboring farm that raises crops using chemicals. The difference was stark with bright green meeting yellow brown. He showed the barrier of trees that is being developed between the two properties to protect the integrity of their organic growing methods.

















He then took the students on a tour of the farm including the crop rows, the chicken coops and the hoop houses. The hoop houses were a welcome relief from the cool temperatures. Kevin explained why they were warmer and about solarization. He noted that if it had been a sunny day they may have been as hot as 90 degrees inside. He showed the students where they started and raised seedlings to plant or sell for others to plant. The students truly enjoyed the chickens, and the crowing roosters. A chicken chase ensued to capture the escaped chickens but they outsmarted the children by flying back over the fence. They may try to escape but they know their way back home.








































The tour ended with a seedling transfer exercise where the students separated delicate celeriac seedlings into larger pots. With small, agile hands they transplanted all the seedlings lightning fast! While it was nice to return to the warmth of the bus, the cooler temperatures and rain gave a taste of what farm life can be like when the work must be done despite the weather conditions. Kevin was very thorough and informative in his tour and lecture and the students were fortunate to see a working sustainable farm in action. The lessons they have learned all year about organic gardening, sustainability and environmental practices came together neatly in one afternoon. Thanks New Earth Farm!


Saturday, April 20, 2013

Tea Two Ways

At our last meeting the Green LIONS Garden Group made flavored water, or “fruit teas” with fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs for a refreshing and delicious alternative to commercial artificially flavored and colored waters. Students made watermelon/rosemary, cucumber/mint, strawberry/lime/basil, and orange/lime flavors. The winner seemed to be the cucumber/mint which many students said tasted like mint chewing gum.



















We then made compost tea from our worm bin, currently being hosted by Ms. Dickens 4th grade class. When water is poured through the bin, what comes out the bottom after running through the worm castings and soil is rich in nutrients and beneficial bacteria. This can be diluted and poured on the garden for a natural fertilizer. This practice closes the life cycle circle and helps the students learn how what grows in the garden can be composted to turn into a fertilizer to again return to the garden. A beautiful process that connects us to the natural world.



Spring Cleaning

In March and early April the Green LIONS Garden Group was busy preparing the garden for Spring by starting seeds, weeding and giving new plants and seeds homes in our garden beds.

We were excited to welcome Linkhorn Park parent Becky Devlin of Roost Flowers to a meeting in March. She talked with the students about the importance and benefit of having flowering plants in and around an edible garden. Not only do they attract pollinators to the garden helping the flowers of edible plants turn into vegetables and fruits, but they can also deter certain pests from invading the garden. Ms. Devlin helped the students start zinnias seeds in the courtyard greenhouse. Once the seedlings started to emerge, Ms. Manley’s 3rd grade class adopted the plants to grow stronger in the Grow Lab in their classroom. We look forward to planting them in the LIONS Garden when they’re ready.





















Ms. Devlin raises beautiful flowers and herbs to beautify weddings and events using organic growing methods. You can learn more about her business at Roost Flowers.

Next we spent a meeting in the garden weeding the beds of residual plants and weeds from our fall planting. We removed the layer of leaf mulch that kept the beds warm over the winter and tucked it in around our blueberry bushes to help them grow stronger.

At this same meeting we made carrot seed tape to help plant our carrots without the need of thinning the plants later. We made a simple “glue” by boiling cornstarch with water and glued carrot seeds carefully spaced on paper towels. If the seeds germinate properly after planting the paper towel tape as a strip they will grow uncrowded and perfectly spaced, eliminating the usual task of thinning the carrot growth.



















Now we were ready for a visit from Farmer John and to plant our garden beds with delicate spring vegetables and herbs. We amended our soil with compost giving it the equivalent of an energy drink with a huge vitamin boost. We planted some plants from seed and some as seedlings.

By seed, also known as direct sow, we planted sugar snap peas, turnips, potatoes, carrots, radishes, sunflowers, nasturtiums (edible flowers), mesclun mix (baby lettuces), spinach, one variety of lettuce, spring onions, cilantro and dill. As seedlings we planted lettuce, tatsoi, kale, arugula, chard, snapdragons, a variety of herbs including chervil, yarrow, thyme, lavender, mint, chives, and many more that I know I am forgetting. Visit the garden to see the wide variety of our vegetables, herbs, flowers, and our perennial strawberries already producing the white flowers that will soon become ripe, juicy strawberries. Yum!