The Wrong Part of the Carrot

Early on in my teaching career I discovered the power of growing things. Struggling through that difficult first year of teaching, one of the few things my middle schoolers responded to (other than food and Snoop Doggy Dog) was a unit on plants. I couldn’t afford to feed them treats every day, and under no circumstances was I going to “bust out a rhyme”, but I could sure share my love of gardening with them. We propagated plants, did an in depth tree study, joined the Arbor Day Foundation, and planted trees around the campus. Those desperation lessons were all about crowd control in the beginning, but as my teaching has evolved, so have the lessons.

At some point I figured out how to combine the appeal of food with my lessons on plants and we began planting lettuce, carrots, and radishes. I’m always amazed at how excited the kids get when they see those first sprouts, and how, invariably, at least one (usually several) are surprised to learn that carrots and radishes grow underground. One kid this year really freaked and kept insisting that we can’t eat the “wrong” part of the carrot.

One of the most exciting things about Givhans Farms is working with content area experts and seeing how other teachers use the same materials and ideas in wildly different ways. Because of my training in the field of emotional disabilities, I always think in terms of a project’s functionality and its impact on behavior. I know for sure that concrete, real world work makes a difference for kids, especially for those who struggle academically. It is a treat to see a kid find his or her niche and really shine. The same student who just can’t make sense of y=mx+b or can’t write a cohesive paragraph might work wonders in the soil.

So what happens if we start with the hands on stuff first, and then build on that in the classroom? Will the Fertile Crescent make more sense if its on a timeline with our very own farm? Will y=mx+b be more meaningful if we use it to graph lettuce production or sales figures? Will a persuasive writing assignment have more relevance if the student is writing to a senator asking them to vote one way or another on a farm bill? Will it ever be ok to eat the wrong part of the carrot? My guess is yes.

STEP ONE - Preparing the plot

Whether we grow organically or not, we need to begin preparing the soil for planting. That means determining the desired planting area, marking the desired area, tilling the soil, beginning compost containers (for future fertilizer), and I'm sure many more things that I cannot think of at this moment. Ideas? Suggestions?

Organic or Not or Semi-Organic

At our first meeting, we briefly discussed the possibility of growing organic fruits and veggies. With the big craze to buy and eat organic foods, this method seems to be the way to go. However, we face several obstacles. For example, for an agricultural product to be labeled organically grown the FDA has to approve that it has indeed been reared using organic materials only.
Sandy mentioned that there is an alternate organic certification but I'm not sure of the specifics. Sandy?

Crops - What should we plant and hopefully harvest?

Things to keep in mind:
- Planting in August/September so crops must be conducive to this time
- Amount of time before ability to harvest
- Crops that discourage scavengers (deer, pests, GAP students!)

Crops We're Considering:
- Decorative Gourds
- Greens (collards, mustard, turnip)
- Squash
- Fruit trees

Division of Labor

No need to have one select group of students complete all aspects of the program.

More than "Alternative"

Alternative: unusual, different, unconventional, unorthodox, extraordinary. Those words are all apt descriptors of the students and staff you’ll find and Givhans Alternative Program, and they are also descriptors of Givhans Farms, a farming entrepreneurship program that will be in full swing with the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year. Funded by Oprah’s Big Give and WCIV TV, the farm will be used as a teaching tool across the curriculum.

From specific entrepreneurship courses designed around operating a small business to units of study incorporated into English, Math, Science and Social Studies classes, the farm will bring a myriad of concepts from the textbook to real life. With guidance from teachers, students will operate all aspects of the farm, from sales and marketing, to production, to bookkeeping, along the way learning valuable job skills. Start-up costs for this venture? $2000. The opportunity to become a successful employee or business owner? Priceless.

OK, that was goofy takeoff on an overdone commercial. But I do have a vision for this farm. Groups of kids learning the value of hard work, gaining confidence as they produce a valued commodity and sell it. Young adults completing business plans and starting their own businesses. Students connecting their studies to the real world. A financially sound school based enterprise contributing to the school and funding scholarships. Nothing wrong with dreaming big, but it all starts with the small stuff, like planting a row of lettuce and convincing a 15 year old not to be scared of the earthworms.

Please use this blog to share your vision of what this farm can become and how we make it happen. And welcome to Givhans Alternative, an unusual, unconventional, sometimes unorthodox, always exraordinary Program.

Sandy