Hopi Pink Corn

Well, even though school's out, Ms. Paige had a work day today in the garden. The Hopi Pink Corn is tasseling...and it's beautiful! This is one of the heirloom seed varieties from Seeds of Change.
We planted some last fall, and the soil was not nearly rich enough to sustain a corn plant, so we are excited about this progress!

If you want to know more about this incredible plant:

http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_43/corn.aspx

You say "Po-ta-to", I say "Let's Eat!"

Check out these beautiful organic babies!!!


The 4th graders were so excited about our harvest!


Pam Laborde tries some of our freshly roasted potatoes~

Well, we had a surprise harvest today! We were getting a bit discouraged battling the potato beetles and decided to pull up a few decimated plants to see if there were any potatoes formed. Well, we filled up a full tray full of gorgeous, organic potatoes! Being that our "Family Appreciation Night" was this evening, we decided to serve them to our children, parents & faculty.

I have to give a HUGE thank you to John Ed Laborde for helping me clean and cook these potatoes at Panaroma Foods in Marksville. I would have never been able to cook this amount of potatoes in time in my tiny oven!

Everyone that sampled the potatoes loved them. For those that asked, they were simply washed, cubed, drizzled in olive oil, sprinkled with pepper, garlic seasoning, a bit of tony's, some fresh rosemary & oregano from the garden...then baked for about 35 min. Voila!

Time to fly!

As our last few days of school are winding down, we went to check on the baby bluebirds this morning, and they were gone!

There was a perfectly formed nest left in the birdbox- we kept it. You're supposed to clean out the box, so each nesting pair can create their own nest.

This is a good lesson for our kids. As parents & teachers, we can show you love & compassion, teach you all the survival skills we know, give you plenty of advice from lessons that we may have learned the hard way, then it's time for you to fly on your own!

Blackberry feast~

Well, the blackberries are ripening, and our classes today got to enjoy some freshly picked berries with vanilla bean ice cream as an "end-of-the-year" treat!

Blackberry facts:
~ They are very high in Vitamin C and fiber
~ They are very high in ellagic acid which is an antioxidant that acts as a scavenger to help make potential cancer-causing chemicals inactive. Ellagic Acid reduces the genetic damage caused by carcinogens like tobacco smoke and air pollution. They also contain other antioxidants that help lower cholesterol and ward off cardiovascular disease.
~ Blackberries are effective in the treatment of stomach problems, such as nausea.
~ Blackberries are one of the few fruits that contain heart-protective Vitamin E. Berries also strengthen blood vessels , protecting eyesight and reducing heart disease and risk!
~ Blackberries are fat free!
~ Blackberries contain the highest levels of phytoestrogens, which have a possible roll in prevention of breast & cervical cancer.
~ Some of the antioxidants in berries help fight the aging process! Blackberries are high in anthocyanins, which give them their color. These specific antioxidants help fight off the process of aging by fighting off the diseases associated with old age. Think about a metal saw rusting due to oxidation, the body deteriorates due to the effects of oxidation.

Today we also had a lesson in composting. Our ice cream cups were made of a biodegradable corn substance. Our wooden spoons and thin paper napkins also went into the compost bins...nothing went into the trash!

Have a fantastic summer and come see our booth at the
Marksville Farmers' Market every Saturday in June!!!

"The proof is in the pudding"

Let's not fool ourselves.
It takes time to create an organic garden that produces amazing fruits, vegetables & herbs. I believe our children are worth that time.
Ms. Polly and I have worked ambitiously hard these past 9 months with the kids to develop good soil, and I do believe we are on our way to succeeding!

Take a good look at these soil samples...
The one on the far left (yes, the one that looks like little rocks) contains the soil we started with...needless to say, in the midst of a drought.
The middle sample was after we added tons of organic mulch, so it improved quite drastically immediately.
The one on the right you will notice is a bit darker in color and moister. As the soil improves, its ability to hold water also improves.

Recently, we have been reading up on adding minerals to our soil and the science (and beauty) of permaculture. If you are interested in reading more about this, check out these websites:

www.patternliteracy.com

www.soilminerals.com

1st graders in the garden

Today the 1st graders tasted strawberries & sweet peas from the garden...
Elijah exclaimed that the peas were "juicy & sweet!"


Kylie showing us the progress of the heirloom sweet corn~


Isabella is checking out the height of the sunflowers~


They also got to see how big the baby bluebirds are now!

Eating your Daylilies...

Did you know that daylilies are actually higher in protein and Vitamin C than most of the vegetables we eat?

"While most flower gardeners are familiar with daylilies, few know that practically every part of the daylily is edible. Some common ways of eating daylilies include adding fresh buds and blossoms to salads, as well as battering and frying them like squash blossoms. Dried daylily petals, called "golden needles" by the Chinese, are an ingredient in many Chinese recipes, including hot-and-sour soup."

The 6th grade girls' class taste-tested some today. Cailey Cole remarked, "It taste like a crisp lettuce with a sauteed onion aftertaste".

"Daylilies are adaptable, vigorous perennials that thrive in the garden, even when neglected. They are easy to establish and multiply quickly. They are virtually pest- and disease-free. They even taste good!"

http://www.gardenstew.com/about371.html

Sweet pea tasting in the morning

This morning we picked some fresh peas off the fenceline for the 4th graders to do a taste test- they remarked how fresh they tasted! Most of them (maybe all?) came back for more...
One of our students, Cameron remarked that it was the freshest thing he'd ever put in his mouth!

Congratulations Graduates!!!

pictured above is the senior class with Ms. Paige, Ms. Lori and Ms. Julie on Labor Day work day in the garden...

Congratulations to the 2010 APCS Graduates and good luck in your future endeavors!

"The only journey is the one within."
— Rainer Maria Rilke

Beneficial Bugs

Today, after we spotted a dragonfly, a bumblebee, and a ladybug in the garden, our 1st graders drew their favorite beneficial insect.
Here are a few of them:


praying mantis

spider

centipede

butterflies

butterfly

Bluebirds & blueberries...

The bluebirds have hatched and the mother has removed the beautiful blue eggshells from the nest. Below are the four newborn bluebirds sleeping snuggled together.



We observed this dragonfly perched on one of our blueberry bushes today...



The blueberries are growing more plump...
they need a few more weeks to ripen!

Mother's Day mint & cards

Chloe, Josce & Julian work on their cards


flowers that have been pressed for the cards


violas in the garden


roses near the potting shed

The kindergarten classes have been hard at work making sure their mothers will feel extra-special this Sunday!

We made mint cuttings for each child to bring home to their mother, so they can start an herb garden.
Then they cut flowers from the garden and pressed them in books to flatten them and preserve them. Then they made their cards with their handprint, writings and drawings with the pressed flowers. We laminated them as a keepsake for years to come.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL OUR MOTHERS!!!