Our First Planting Day!

Planting begins in our talk circle

On November 15 we had our first planting day! It was really fun and exiting. The seventh grade classes were chosen to be the first students to plant in the garden. We started out by spliting the class up and walking out to the garden. We stood in a semi-cirlce in the central gathering spot and Katie, our garden coordinator, explained what we had to do. My class began the seed plantings in the woolly pockets which is our vertical garden.

Other classes did the plantings in the raised beds. We would either get seeds or starter plants and dig our holes big enough to fit them. For the seeds in the woolly pockets we used our finger to create the hole and we then covered them up with nice compost and put a popsicle stick to label each type of seed that was planted. We had many different types of seeds such as little gem lettece, carrots,and other herbs. We only had about half our science pieriod to do it, but it was really fun to plant. Our garden is looking more like an Edible Garden everyday!

LAST WORKDAY PRIOR TO PLANTING DAY!



Ready for action!



Phase One of building the edible garden is finally done! We did it! We had lots of volunteers this weekend who came to help us shovel and rake the mulch surface, add compost to the planters, finish the brick patio, add touch up paint to our shed/kitchen,  install the drip irrigation for the woolly pockets and build our very cool gateway arch.The garden is now ready for the 7th grade science classes to start planting this week. The first plantings will be done by Ms. Schwendener and Ms. Holland's classes and led by Katie Dwyer, our garden coordinator. I will tell you more about Katie in my next posts.



Adding compost to the planters



Installing the drip irrigation to the woolly pockets

Building the garden's archway

The mulch pile is getting smaller!



Raking the mulch surface



Clean up - a hard day of work is done.








Project Lunch - The School Lunch Challenge



the chefs for the School Lunch Challenge

On November 12, I particpated in the Project Lunch: School Lunch Challenge event that was presented by Teens Turning Green and Marin Academy Eco Council. The event was held at Marin Academy. First, we walked into their auditorium and listened to some students speak (Ali Chan, Max Norman, Courtney Jacobson). They all had very intelligent things to say. After the students spoke Chef Ann Cooper (originally from Alice Waters’ garden!) talked to us about changing our schools lunch systems, and Congress member Lynn Woolsey talked to us about how government policies needed to change to be more supportive to schools and our health.

We then went down to the MA kitchen and prepare food; we broke up into six groups where local chefs were waiting to teach us how to cook a meal on $1.20 per student while meeting USDA guidelines. Once we finished the food we all sat down and ate a great meal. After several fire alarms (the smoke detectors went off more than once!) we went back up stairs and had a panel discussion where the student speakers asked questions to the adult speakers. We learned about what was wrong in the system and ways we can change it, like starting an edible garden and the importance of being organic.



the Project Lunch Stakeholders



350 weekend - October 9 & 10

I'm speaking at the 350.org rally

Well the weekend started out with a 350 rally on Saturday in downtown San Rafael to jump start the 10.10.10 volunteer day. Our volunteer day was another workday at the garden but we also highlighted how the edible garden will help to fight global warming.


our 10.10.10 workday crew holding 350 flowers

 We continued to build the boardwalk, and laid the brick patio for our outdoor kitchen and stage area.

brick crew and gopher proofing crew



sorting the bricks



laying the bricks in a pattern on sand layer base



Me making the flowers for our 350 group shot for the 350 event web site





My dad Gary starting the boardwalk



10.10.10 The Science of 350

On October 10 at 10 am, or 10.10.10, people around the world will particpate in a global work day to promote awareness about global warming. Our work day this Sunday on 10.10.10 will be in honor of this event since our organic edible garden helps in taking care of the planet, uses clean energy, and protects the local watershed.

Did you know that scientists say that 350 parts per million (ppm) CO2  in the atmosphere is the safe limit for us to live? Currently the world is at 390 ppm's which is why the ice caps are melting and our climate is changing. Learn more about 350—what it means, where it came from, and how to get there. http://www.350.org/

Laying the brick patio and the boardwalk

we stacked and sorted the bricks

Last Sunday we began to lay down the brick pavers outside of our kitchen and shed. The pavers were donated by the Tuck family. Some of the brick came from the original San Rafael City Hall so we have recycled a piece of local history.

starting to frame the boardwalk path

9.26.10 Our Greenhouse takes shape & Woolly Pockets get compost

filling the woolly's

When the day started we filled planting soil into the Woolly Pockets. We poured soil in all fifty pockets and they look kind of fat!. But fat’s good…. at least for plants.

Go Giants!

The greenhouse started off in a box. Not even as a box, just in one. After some hard work of reading the instructions my dad and his helpers finally started building our greenhouse.

The greenhouse started out in a box

Putting up the roof and the walls

Almost done

After a day of work, its up and looks very good.


another good day's work



Trimming the planters

9.19.10 Soil Building Day!

Marin Sanitary unloading our Marin's Own compost

On Sunday September 19 the compost arrived from Marin Sanitary. The soil is called “ Marin’s Own” Compost. This compost is filled with nutrients and organisms that will help build our dirt back into soil. We had sent our dirt to a soil lab called the Soil Food Web to analyze it. This tells us if our dirt is healthy enough for our garden. We found out that is was pretty “dead” and needed a lot of compost to help it get better. Since our dirt consists of a lot of dry clay, the compost will make it healthy again by mixing it together.

Gary moving the compost to the garden

So volunteers shoveled 6” of our dirt first into each planter. Then 6” of compost was added on top of that. We will need to wait two weeks before we mix them together as new compost is really hot and would burn our dirt’s sleeping microorganisms according to my mom. When you put your hands into the compost you can feel the warmness of it.

Emily and her mom spreading the compost

Me moving compost the slow way

We also finished the gopher wire in the 4 x 8 ‘ planters. The back of the school has so many gophers so we need to protect our garden from them.

Scott putting in gopher wire

A good day's work

Teens Turning Green & The White House Organic Farm



photograph by Art Rogers/Point Reyes for Marin Organic

Two weeks ago I was invited to present The Miller Creek Edible Garden & Outdoor Kitchen project to the PROJECT LUNCH stakeholders meeting for TEENS TURNING GREEN. My dad held the pictures of the garden/plans while I talked about how it was going to help teach students about eating healthier, learn how to grow organic food, and  help fight childhood obesity. PROJECT LUNCH is an organization that is helping schools (and gardens!) in turning more green. The stakeholders talked about inspiring students and the community to improve the school lunch programs so that kids are making healthier choices, eating local produce, growing gardens, and reducing waste. My dad and I were asked to be in this photo of the group. Everyone there was very excited and wants to particpate in our garden once we are ready.

The White House

Last week I was in Washignton DC with my parents and went to see Mrs. Obama's organic garden on the front lawn of the White House. It was much, much smaller than I thought it would be. Here are some photos I took. Mrs. Obama's plan is for childern to learn more about nutrition and physical activity. Her plan is called "Let's Move!" and the garden is called " The White House Organic Farm." Our garden will also be about nutrition and we plan to help teach students about eating better and being healthier through nutrition and physical activity.



This is the organic garden on the White House south west lawn




The information sign about the garden



My Visit to Alice Waters Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Middle School

THE TOOL SHED AT MLK

I went to visit the Edible Schoolyard at Martin Luther King Middle School in Berkeley, CA. This was the first Edible Schoolyard started by Ms. Alice Waters, who is one of the inspirations for my school's garden. Ms. Shaina Robbins who is their Program Coordinator gave my mom and me the tour.



THE GARDEN IS ON ONE EDGE OF THE CAMPUS

The garden was started twelve years ago by tearing out an asphalt patch of the school grounds and is one acre in size. It has a kitchen which is also a learning classroom. The students pick the produce they grow and fix a dish to share in the classroom.

THE ALICE WATERS PHILOSOPHY

The garden has a circular outdoor trellis amphitheater, lots of chickens, a pizza oven, a greenhouse, a tool shed, a rainwater harvesting cistern, and lots of flowers and vegetables. It has a compost area, a small pond, and a chicken coop. The 8th graders even get to harvest grains to make flour and then get to make a pizza for one of their lessons. Pizza...yum.


A FEW OF THE VEGETABLE ROWS



THE CIRCULAR TRELLIS AMPHITHEATER



THE PIZZA OVEN

A SUNFLOWER & BEE POLINATOR



THE GARDEN AND TEEPEE



THE CHICKENS WERE WALKING FREELY