WORM WARRIORS. collecting our favorite composting companions

Today we developed a new method for worm collecting. Now that our new compost bins are complete its really important for us to add some worms to aid in the decomposition of all the dead material we add to it as the year progresses.


We also watched a really cool youtube video of the community garden situation in Juneau

http://youtu.be/uB8iNW3dh3s

Building a winter Cold Bed Greenhouse and other winter chores

I was cutting some PVC tubes to a certain length

The archway towards our mini green house, we drilled holes in the raised bed,
then we put in rebar, then we connected the PVC with 'T' connectors

Mr. Hoover and Mr. Iverson gently connect the fragile middle section
while trying to avoid certain death by PVC whipping.
Mr. Hoover almost got a PVC to the Face when the cold snapped the plastic

Mr. Iverson connecting the cross/roof PVC beam
to the conectors in the middle of the arch ways

Ethan had a nasty job of cleaning up the muddy remains of the TAGRO soil

Here's how we organized our jobs today

Weeding grass around beds (upper left corner) AMAYA, KAMORAH,

Leaf/Compost Collection (Out front) MCKAYLA, TIFFANY

Worm Collection/worm garden research (ours isn’t working why?) JEREMIAH, SARA

Litter Pick Up (no fun but needed) TIFFANEE

TAGRO Soil Pile Sweep Up ETHAN

Took Pictures of the Greenhouse building: DALANTE, JAMES

COLD BEDS: DANIEL
Moving Computers for Panther Center: Javier and Andrew

Cedar Post Recycled Compost bins complete!

Sometimes we mess up but a simple re-drill and it was all fixed up.

Frank drilling one of the last holes in the cedar posts.
One final drive of the rebar down into the ground and these compost bins are done.
Thank you to Mr. Schwanger for letting us use the drills!

Rain rain rain :(

it rained so much today that we were barely out side. But we did get work done, we pulled out weeds that we don't need in our garden, people were really really wet and we did not like it.

Our rain garden had a huge leak so our boss Mr Iverson fixed it by adding sand and rocks to create a little dam. Mr Iverson fixed the dam problem, hahah he likes corny jokes.



Tiffany & Robert adding leaves to our new compost ben.



Fidel in the wet rain dumping leaves in the compost ben.

We planned out our plans for next week and we have some grant people coming to check out our garden. We come so far that if we had a sprinkler sistem and a green house we can really get some people from the community to help us with filling our garden.

Skipper and Lucy. Our Ducks have come home.

We can't be certain but the same ducks that visited us last year may have returned to our little pond of mud, grass, and aquatic organisms. A male and a female mallard scared us more than we scared them as we accidentally distrubed them in the pond.

although there isn't a lot of standing water there is enough for a a few ducks to find some lunch

the day wasn't a total success, someone put a bag and cigarette buts in the compost bins.
what a shame.
we picked them out one by one.

THEN AND NOW! AMAZING TRANSITION IN ONLY 9 months

Just following J-Term The Rain Garden started to fill in.
We planted wild flowers to attract pollinators.

It took several dumptrucks full of woodchips just to get the area surrounding the garden
in shape to be able to walk around

Close up of the virgin rain garden.

Our very first woodchip path leading us to the muddy hill
that would soon become our garden

Just after harvest this fall. As you can see the raingarden
and the whole garden are completely different with life thriving all around!

Almost an Identical shot from above but 9 months later. WOW!

Garden in full swing from top looking back at school

Our awesome garden sign that Nate Herth's summer school program made for us

The Schwanger family harvesting their various potatoes

One of our many fall harvests! we still have a lot of it frozen and ready to eat!

Compost bin progress, the last load of tagro, garden room computers online!

Although we don't have any photos today we got a lot done...well some of us.

Some people worked clearing the last of the Tagro pile its all gone!

Mr. I and Dalante got a couple more boards up on the big compost bin before the construction math class needed the drills back

Beds continued to get raked.

Some garden class members said that they were going to stay inside and "work on homework" only to find them playing Cool Math on the computers...Autonomy Skills?

Tonight is Essential Elements night we will be showing off our photos and blog and handing out pamphlets to try and sell some garden plots for the year. SOTA and SAMI are coming so wish us good luck!

Homeworking, Anti Vandalisming, Composting, Dirt Moving Awesome Kids

Today we again broke up into homework make up squad and working outside crew. Inside people got caught up on missing work from other classes and some people worked on outside jobs. We are still dealing with littering, vandalism, and general immature stupidity. BUT we will press on because one day we will have a beautiful garden full of awesome people and growing plants and food that we share with each other as we learn how to be cool garden masters!

Yay someone stole the top of our compost!!!!! Can you smell the Sarcasm

What kind of a sick person vandalizes a donated raspberry plant growing in a handi-cap garden?

Talon and Spencer slaving away to finish our second compost bin

Herrera and Patrick getting Tagro Potting Soil Mix to fill up beds that have sunken over the last year

A Day Off

Today we took a day off to look at our school grades, make up some missing work in other classes, and learn a little math with partners and tutors. We'll be back on Thursday with a full report hopefully. Garden is doing fine.

Love B Days

we did complete about 10 missing assignments though!

A Days no longer. WE ARE BEAST MODE JOE JOES.

Today we came up with a name for our team and voted on it: Beast Mode Joe Joes. Basically to work and dominate everything is called going "Beast" so this team exists in a MODE of Beast and we like Joe Joes as a snack.

Also, we had some more vandalism in the garden. Destroyed raspberries that were recently donated by our UWT friends were a sad sight to see. Also a bunch of swiss chard, an artichoke (not avocado) and some other plants were destroyed along with dog poo and garbage litter. Here is a video

University of Washington Tacoma Visit

Kelly Hatfield-Burmaz from the UWT Giving Garden and Greenhouse visited today. We gave her a tour and she gave us a whole lot of cool ideas for our garden. She also brought us two Raspberry plants that she said would spread like wildfire.

Here are some of the ideas:
Donating to the Tacoma Rescue Mission
Asking the homeless what they WANT us to grow in our giving garden for their food
They can do starts for us in their greenhouse and donate starts and seeds and rescue plants to us
She gave us ideas of how to start our worm garden!
We talked about field trips and work trading
We are both learning about winter cold bed gardens
She said Kale, Mint and Butter Lettuce are great for right now to plant

Here is a up close photo of our pond, see if you can spot the water mites.

Butternut Squash, Leaves for compost, and more littering.

Sadly, our littering public service announcement didn't stop the littering. More garbage was found today than ever before. Sad.

Cutting up squash for soup

Ethan found a recipe online that we'll try next week

2 tablespoons butter 2 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), chopped 1 large onion, chopped 1 large potato, peeled and cubed 2 cups cubed butternut squash 1 cup diced carrots 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4-inch thick 1 quart chicken stock 1/4 cup dry white wine (optional) 1/2 cup light cream 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons chopped chives Directions Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in leeks and onions, and cook until the onion softens and turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potato, squash, carrots, apple, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes.


adding dirt and raking beds in preparation for the winter



Carefully puree the soup in batches in a blender, or use a stick blender to puree the soup right in the pot. Once the soup has been pureed, return it to the pot and stir in wine and cream. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper; simmer gently for 5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with chopped chives.

Mr. I and the boys getting leaves to improve our compost that is brewing in our new compost bins

PLEASE STOP LITTERING!!!!!! Our First PSA

Today we took our first crack at making a public service announcement. Despite a small sneeze in the middle it actually went pretty well. The PSA is in response to all the crazy littering that has been taking place following the Halloween Holiday.

A Days totally redeem themselves.

Today we worked outside.

We laughed we wheelbarrowed we cried.

We pulled some weeds, they were denied

I asked Frank if he was working, he said "Yes..."
He lied.

Today we kicked garden butts

we worked and worked and busted our guts

some of the kids drove mr. I nuts

Using the last of our Tagro Potting Soil to fill up low beds, guess we need more.

Yesenia thought, "Why are middle schoolers so cruel?"

Ooooooooh. Look at that BOSS Mr. Mateo and Mr. Mikey doing some landscaping

If this works expect more videos to come.