Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

The reason I chose my title to be what it is, is because it is the book that I am currently endorsed in. The more I read, the more excited I get about my project! It is really enlightening and inspirational. It's about how the author (Barbara Kingsolver) and her family moved away from their urban lifestyle to a farm for an entire year to be sustained solely on food bought locally or grown on their farm, and the food unavailable because it was out of season, they lived without. Barbara and her family "tried to wring most of the petroleum out of their food chain, even if that meant giving up some things" (10), which I think everyone can benefit from. She really emphasizes the idea that "knowing how foods grow is to know how and when to look for them" and that "such expertise is useful for certain kinds of people, namely, the ones who eat, no atter where they live or grocery shop" (10). I've been slowly digesting this book, page by page, and writing down everything that is both fascinating and helpful. This book emphasizes the fact that "we're a nation with an eating disorder, and we know it" (18) and discusses ways for the American culture to change. For the most part, we're all "agricultural agnostics" (11), which is something we need to remedy, and remedy fast. I've learned appalling facts such as that 3,900 calories per U.S. citizen per day is produced, which is twice what we need. There is a very discreet crime going on in the U.S: because humans have this built-in weakness for fats and sugars, we're being targeted purposely by the fast food industry, especially kids!. Because of this, my generation is predicted to have a shorter life expenctancy than our parents. That is seriously frightening and something needs to be done about it. Food, like cigarettes, can be an addiction, especially with all the chemicals in the unidentifiable, "unpronounceable ingrediant lists" (19). If you think about it, it's sickening! The fact of the matter is that what the land can give us is what the body needs and it is a foreign concept to the average American. Agricultural knowledge really needs to become a main part of the school system's curriculum.

So, now that I've gone off on my speel about what I learned in the first chapter of my new book, I'll get to other aspects of my project. I've been doing some more research and I've come to the conclusion that I'm going to have to have a winter garden. Someway, somehow. It's already too late to plant to harvest in the fall and it's too late to plant in the spring to harvest in the summer, seeing as senior project will be over by then. So, a winter garden it is! And it is not impossible- it just takes some more equipment, thinking, and time. I know I will be able to grow garlic, some sort of lettuce, perhaps some beans, and something else that I can't quite remember. I'll have to find someway to keep my crops at the right temperature... there is some sort of cheap and easy greenhouse idea that I've looked at on the internet, but it will require some more research. Also, I will be applying for a grant to pay for all of my expenses. It's the same grant that my sister got for her recycling senior project, so hopefully I'll be successful like she was. But you never know- I can't exactly count on that until I've actually gotten the grant. But with Mrs. Price and Mrs. Berube on my side, I can't help but be a little confident. I've also been getting really excited with incorporating my senior project idea with the 4th grade curriculum. I'm having some great ideas on how to get the elementary students involved and excited about my project. I've been thinking that they could actually help me with the planting process and learn something while they're at it! They could perhaps each have their own little watering can that they can decorate and each day be responsible to water a certain plant. Stuff like that. I'll continue to be thinking of other ideas and if anyone has any new ideas for me, please don't hesistate to tell me! I do believe that's it for now. Until next Friday!