EGGPlants: learning and gardening with third graders: May 2012

For the final capstone to the Eggplants program we planted our outdoor garden! It was such a success! We're hoping that our garden can be cared for by students and families over the summer in order to grow beautiful, fruit bearing plants. Our garden planting went incredibly successfully!

Outdoor planting plan!

To start, we will go inside and talk to students in the classroom!

INSIDE:

-ask students what they think needs to be done to grow a garden

-then provide them with a semi-detailed outline of what we will be doing today, hopefully to give them a sense of responsibility! There will be MANY tasks to be accomplished and we only have an hour to do it, so if we work together, and work hard, we can plant a beautiful garden!

we need to plant our seeds—all seeds are planted differently; some are planted directly into the soil, others in a mound, others transplanted (have to be very careful!)
It's very important that we plant seeds correctly! If we plant them too deep, they will die before they reach the sun.
Fertilizing seeds and making mounds: we will use compost for this. When students find the spot for their seed, they should first put some compost on their spot. They can push the seed into this soil and can cover the seed with another thin layer of compost.
Water! We have buckets of water for watering the plants. If you are ever done/bored, go fill a water bucket!

OUTSIDE

After students get general instructions, they will get an item of responsibility: their plant! There are many plants so students will be paired into groups of 2 or so, in order to assure that all plants get planted.
Students will be given their seed-packet, and will be asked to read HOW DEEP to plant their seeds, if seeds are planted in a mound or in the soil, and how far apart to plant their seeds.
Students will receive their seeds once they can tell one of us this information.
Once students have read the packet and have received their seeds, we will head outside.
In the garden, there will be strings marking rows of plants and pieces of paper marking where different plants should be planted. Students will be asked to find their spot and to start planting.
From here we can walk around and check on students to see how they're doing.

Here is our list of seeds and methods:

PLANT	METHOD	DEPTH	NUMBER per school
Dwarf Gray Sugar Pea	Push into soil	¼ inch, 2 inches apart	50
Kentucky Wonder Bush	Push into the soil	1 inch, 2 inches apart	30
Swiss Chard	Push into soil	½ inch, 2 inches apart	50
Carrots	Push into soil	¼ inch, ½ inch apart	50
Squash	Mound 6-8 seeds	12” diameter hills	12 (2 mounds)
Pumpkin	Mound 6-8 seeds	12” diameter hills	12 (2 mounds)
Basil	Push into soil	¼ inch, 6 inches apart
Zuchini	Mound 6-8 seeds	12” diameter hills	12 (2 mounds)
Watermelon	Mound 6-8 seeds	12” diameter hills	12 (2 mounds)
Eggplant	Transplant	Careful with roots!	?
Heirloom Tomato	Transplant	Careful with roots!	?
(11—2 kids per group except transplants may use some more)

This week, we took the third graders to Thorn Crest Farm in Dundas, MN (http://www.thorncrestfarm.com/). This was a great experience for us and for the students because we got to see firsthand how organic farming is accomplished in a local setting. Needless to say, we were able to bring in many of the topics we have been discussing in the classroom. Thorn Crest is a CSA (community supported agriculture), meaning that community members in the area subscribe to the farm in the springtime and receive a weekly share of the harvest throughout the summer and fall. The produce grown here includes leafy greens, onions, garlic, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, corn, raspberries, and grapes. They also keep chickens for eggs and for eating. A huge thank you goes out to Gary and Maureen Vosejpka for welcoming us to their farm and showing us all of the exciting things that go on there! This fieldtrip was supported in part by the Northfield Healthy Community Initiative, with funding from the Northfield Area United Way, and SAMHSA (grant number SP012242-10).

The washing station, where produce is rinsed