Its' been busy at the K-8 this week! We have moved over a ton and a half of landscaping bricks, and soil to complete the installation of HK8's first on-campus raised garden bed. Thank you to Mrs. Bear and Mrs. Molacek for your dedication to garden based learning! This project would not happen without your interest. I have learned that these partnerships are the keystone to the success of a school garden project. A from quote a 7th grade boy while moving soil yesterday, "I just really like gardening, I don't know why, but I do."

I am glad (to put it mildly) that he feels the value of this project.

Another thank you to Mark, Courtney, Niki and Margaret for lending a hand.

Tomato Seeding 2011!

This is our fourth year working with the Hotchkiss K8 1st grade classes. This year we seeded something a little different. We used some of the seeds that kids saved last fall and also some paste varieties (Amish and San Marzano). This season the plants will be rooted in the Sauce Plot, and the fruit will be grown and processed by kids for Kids' Pasta Project community fund raising dinners.

Another project we are starting at Thistle Whistle Farm is a partnership with the Family Literacy Program in Delta. We do not have a name for this one yet, but our objective is introduce and educate 30 families on nutrition, and better eating habits with farm fresh produce.

Stay tuned...

Surface Creek Vision

Last week we hosted Surface Creek Vision School over at Zephyros Farm.

It was a beautiful spring day, and the children got to experience a spring time rite of passage. There were a record number of lambs born that morning- 16 of them! Both parents and children learned a lot and asked many questions. As everyone departed for the afternoon, one young man announced that he wanted to come back soon. I hope they do!

Future HHS Garden Club

"This is delicious, try it!"

"Can we do this more often, this is fun."

"I am so proud!"

"Can we start a flower garden?"

Just some of the chatter I heard today in Biodome as we harvested the first of the spring greens. 14 HHS freshmen seeded out more lettuce, trellised the sweet peas, and harvested over a pound of greens for their cafeteria.

This is the future Hotchkiss High School Garden Club!

spring seeding

This week the HK8 Life Skills class did some seeding for their annual plant sale. After we hauled the soil, and filled the flats, the students seeded out three different varieties for tomatoes; a cherry, a paste and a salad type. We also seeded basil, chives (a little late), and parsley. We talked about the importance of soil temperature and seed planting depth. The kids were challenged by working with the small seed, but established their our techniques by the end of the hour.

Last week we transplanted two varieties of mint, and iris.

Thank you Zephyros and Thistle Whistle for donating the mother plants!

It's March!

February is way too short.

We met with the HK8 students twice this week- a great way to start the month. Last June the Kampe Foundation awarded the Life Skills class a grant to fix up their school greenhouse, build a raised bed, and develop farm/growing-based lessons. On Monday I joined the kids to meet about our spring seeding schedule. We learned how to read the seed catalogs, and selected the crops that would best suit the growing projects that we're going to take on this spring. They are planning two plants sales in early May, and the construction of a raised bed near their classroom. The seeds should arrive some time this week!

On Friday we had a lesson in composting. The objective being to explain the difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable items. The students assembled three 'compost bags', all containing different ratios of matter. We'll check in with the bags at the end of the month to see (and smell) how they have progressed and theorize which bag had the correct ratios for a fit compost heap!

Happy March!

Biodome 2011

First post of the year!

Finally some planting in the biodome after months of inactivity. Last week, Adam and I cleared out the largest spent broccoli plants that I've ever seen from the raised beds. They had been growing and flowering all summer, unchecked, while the kids were out. Honestly, their stem girth was nearing 3 inches.

HUGE.

On Friday the Junior National Honor Society students, all freshmen, came in to do some planting. After a brief meeting last week, the students asked their cafeteria managers (aka: Lunch Ladies) what could be used in the kitchen for lunches. So this spring the kids will be growing carrots, peas and many varieties for lettuce for the school salads. Every day the kids will rotate through on their watering and weeding schedule. Next month they should be cutting their first harvest of lettuce, they'll have to wait a few more weeks for the peas and carrots. The seeds, soil and tools were furnished through the Kids on Farms project.