Thursday, July 8, 2010
Think BLUE...it is the new Green
HOT HOT HOT. Man what wierd weather we get here sometimes. From record lows to record highs in a few weeks? How about this for a fact- we had a drop of 32 degrees in 40 minutes yesterday on the Coast. Temps climbed to 90+ degrees and plummeted to upper 50's as the sun began to set. 32 degrees!!! That is an amazing feat and says something about the power of our ocean. The ocean makes ALL of our weather so we farmers need to respect the land as much as the ocean. Think Green is so last year. THINK BLUE...it is the new green.
The gardens have been growing well. Our centers have organized some watering schedules and are beginning to take more control over the care of their gardens. Perfect timing really as they need more work now than ever. The centers have begun to plant, water, harvest, and play in the gardens as we had hoped. Looks like it only took some good weather to get them out there using the resource. The goal of creating a sustainable project seems possible though we won't know until we see some of the center's own work next year.
The crops are looking fine though not stellar. We had to use old seed and lower quality starts due to budget constraints and lack of donations. I spent some money buying us some more things that will produce heavy crops with little care. I mostly bought squash, beans, and sun flowers. Sunflowers operate in a simlar fashion to corn (in the three sisters garden) but are better for the bees/bugs, prettier, and readily seed. As they are not governed by GMO crop pollination, I feel like this is the improved three sisters...I call it Tres Amigos. Corn has been sequestered by agtech companies but sunflowers are free from tinkering of that "nature". But I do get ahead of myself. Like I stated above. I purchased some squash, beans, and sunflowers for our centers and planted them. They are growing well and I hope will be the main product from our gardens for summer season. I hope to plant some winter crops here next week when the temps drop. I have a plot in Silverton that needs some vetch removed before it seeds and that is where I will be placing some broccoli, cabbage, birds nest gourds and goblin eggs. If I can get my hands on some kales that would be wonderful.
The year is almost up for me and my AmeriCorps year. With 5 gardens in the ground
and more requests each week from our centers to build, teach, and grow I think our program will continue to expand. The success of this years garden will be measured not in harvest but in interest. In smiles. In understanding. In teaching moments and translated words. Our gardens have grown our centers too. They have a resource now that can feed minds and bodies and I believe they will continue to shape the way OCDC centers operate.
The children have been using big tools in the garden to rake, hoe, dig, and cultivate. It has been a relief for my back and my hands. It also warms those kiddos up for a sweet nap which I know the teachers appreciate. A mind like a childs needs the stimulation of Nature to envelop, connect, and expand those huge brains of theirs. The connectivity of nature is observable BY OUR OWN MEANS of interpretation. Curriculum involves too many other entities that don't reside within our faculties. But nature plays by rules we innately comprehend. These gardens will be a savior for our teachers on tough winter days. Days when curriculum won't work. When kids want to be anywhere but stuck indoors and love to let you know about it. It is my hope that OCDC will be forever changed and will continue to grow gardens to grow minds.
Some great pics. No explanations necessary.
The gardens have been growing well. Our centers have organized some watering schedules and are beginning to take more control over the care of their gardens. Perfect timing really as they need more work now than ever. The centers have begun to plant, water, harvest, and play in the gardens as we had hoped. Looks like it only took some good weather to get them out there using the resource. The goal of creating a sustainable project seems possible though we won't know until we see some of the center's own work next year.
The crops are looking fine though not stellar. We had to use old seed and lower quality starts due to budget constraints and lack of donations. I spent some money buying us some more things that will produce heavy crops with little care. I mostly bought squash, beans, and sun flowers. Sunflowers operate in a simlar fashion to corn (in the three sisters garden) but are better for the bees/bugs, prettier, and readily seed. As they are not governed by GMO crop pollination, I feel like this is the improved three sisters...I call it Tres Amigos. Corn has been sequestered by agtech companies but sunflowers are free from tinkering of that "nature". But I do get ahead of myself. Like I stated above. I purchased some squash, beans, and sunflowers for our centers and planted them. They are growing well and I hope will be the main product from our gardens for summer season. I hope to plant some winter crops here next week when the temps drop. I have a plot in Silverton that needs some vetch removed before it seeds and that is where I will be placing some broccoli, cabbage, birds nest gourds and goblin eggs. If I can get my hands on some kales that would be wonderful.
The year is almost up for me and my AmeriCorps year. With 5 gardens in the ground
and more requests each week from our centers to build, teach, and grow I think our program will continue to expand. The success of this years garden will be measured not in harvest but in interest. In smiles. In understanding. In teaching moments and translated words. Our gardens have grown our centers too. They have a resource now that can feed minds and bodies and I believe they will continue to shape the way OCDC centers operate.
The children have been using big tools in the garden to rake, hoe, dig, and cultivate. It has been a relief for my back and my hands. It also warms those kiddos up for a sweet nap which I know the teachers appreciate. A mind like a childs needs the stimulation of Nature to envelop, connect, and expand those huge brains of theirs. The connectivity of nature is observable BY OUR OWN MEANS of interpretation. Curriculum involves too many other entities that don't reside within our faculties. But nature plays by rules we innately comprehend. These gardens will be a savior for our teachers on tough winter days. Days when curriculum won't work. When kids want to be anywhere but stuck indoors and love to let you know about it. It is my hope that OCDC will be forever changed and will continue to grow gardens to grow minds.
Some great pics. No explanations necessary.
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