Cold Weather-Can the plants survive??

        I believe today was my last day of composting with the 4th grade and in the senior commons. I would like to continue, but the bin that I dump it in might overload soon- it's getting pretty full. I am debating whether to continue for a little longer after Christmas. Hmmm... also, it has been so bitterly cold outside, I'm not sure whether my plants will survive... I have been putting on the tarps at nightime so as to keep them warm... or warmer, but there's only so much I can do. I have a bad feeling that they're going to die- they are a little wilty. Maybe I should just let them die and then replant once it gets a little warmer, because I honesty don't see much hope. Hmmm... at least there will be the planting of the potatoes in February. And at least I got to harvest raddishes with the 4th graders last Friday. They were really excited about the whole ordeal and I think they are going to donate them to the Soup Kitchen. Though it's not much produce, it's the experience of growing and harvesting that's really important.
Anyways, now that my research paper is done, next semester I'll have more time to read more about organic food and buying seasonably. I really want to read the Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. He is supposedly the food guru. The good thing about this project is that there are always things I can add to it if something unfortunate, such as the dying of my plants, happens. I can always plant more, continue to compost, read a book about it, etc. Well, that's all for now! Peace out until after Christmas Break! WOOOO!!!

The First Raddish

       Last Sunday, my dad and I covered up the plants because it was going to be really cold that night. We used 2 of our own tarps to cover 2 beds and the last tarp we had to purchase from Lowes. I was rather worried about the well-being of my plants because it was supposed to get below freezing that night. I left my plants covered the next day as well because it was bitterly cold outside. Tuesday, I uncovered them to discover them a little shriveled. But, they perked up again when I checked on them the next day. Yesterday, I went to uncover them only to discover my first raddish! It was actually growing outside of the beds on the actual ground, which I thought was funny. Anyways, so I was curious to see how far along the row of raddishes were inside of the beds and discovered that they are all ready to be harvested! They are all popping above the dirt in anticipation of being picked. So, I brought back that first raddish and showed everyone in my excitement. Mrs. Lummus and Mrs. Zion were especially excited for me. In celebration of my success, I taped the first raddish above the doorway of the Senior Commons. Everyone treated it as mistle toe, except instead of kissing, everyone was hip-bumping. It was a good day.
      Anyways, so on Friday, I am going to take the 4th grade class out to see the garden and help me pick the raddishes. Mrs. Lummus wants to give the produce to the Soup Kitchen as a gift from their class because they are going to volunteer at the Soup Kitchen in January. Even though there are not that many raddishes so as to make a significant difference at the Soup Kitchen, it's the thought that counts. Or I suggested that some of the students may want to take home some of the raddishes. I would like to have a day where we enjoy the vegetables we grow by eating them as a class, but unfortunately, raddishes aren't especially popular with kids. Anyways, the research paper is due tomorrow and I'm excited to get if off my chest. Because I did most of the work in the rough draft, I didn't have to stress over it much this week. I edited it last Saturday and was, for the most part, done with it then. That's about it for now. Until next week!

Artificial Sweetener vs. Sugar

As part of my Senior Project, I decided to write a health article for The Silver Scroll on sugar . Here it is:

Myth: diet soda is better for you than regular soda. Fact: It’s worse.

Think Diet Soda is healthier than regular soda? Think again. I’m sure most of you are wary of all the warnings and risks that everything seems to have these days. If you stand in front of the microwave, such and such might possibly happen to you, which can result in death. If you use electronics, which most everyone does, you have the risk of getting a brain tumor transmitted through the radio-frequency. You are probably thinking, “anything might give me cancer, so why bother trying to avoid the bad stuff?” Well, if you don’t at least attempt to avoid the bad stuff (like artificial sweetener), then, in the long run, something serious might really happen. It obviously has happened to people before- I mean, where do you think they get these “warnings” from? Real life! So, here is the cliché list of potential side-effects from using artificial sweetener that you probably won’t take seriously: loss of vision, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, memory loss, visual impairment, weight gain, increased cancer risk (I know you saw that one coming), and even death.  Sound worth it? I think I’ll take stevia with my coffee please (I’ll get to stevia later).

Asking yourself which is the best sweetener to use is like asking, as Dr. Joseph Mercola, author of Sweet Deception puts it, “which would you rather be hit in the head with, a baseball bat or a golf club?” They are both detrimental to one’s health. Girls, you may think you’re doing yourself a favor by buying the diet soda, but the fact is that diet soda does not help shed the pounds.  Studies have shown that it does exactly the opposite. How? Artificial sweetener stimulates your appetite, making you want to eat more than your metabolism can handle. This has been proven with rats. In an experiment, one group of rats was fed yogurt sweetened with artificial sweetener while another group was fed regular yogurt for 14 days. During this time, the first group’s intake of food drastically increased compared to the second group’s food intake. Yes, this applies to the human body as well. Scientists also discovered that the first group of rats’ body temperatures dramatically decreased, meaning their metabolism slowed down. Artificial sweetener not only causes you to eat more, but it causes your metabolism to slow down, which is a double whammy! 

So, what is the solution? Certainly not to resort back to sugar! Sugar, though not as bad for you as artificial sweeteners, still has its definite downfall. First off, it is addictive. Research studies indicate that “sugar may be similar to morphine and heroin in its ability to increase opioids in your brain that produce pleasure” (Sweet Deception). This explains the diabetes explosion in America over the past ten years- we can’t control our own insatiable cravings! Did you know that Americans, on average, eat an estimated 158 pounds of sugar per year? And sugar consumption rates are climbing higher all the time in the U.S. Obviously, sugar is not the answer to our dilemma. Is there a healthy substitute for sugar? Yes: Stevia. Stevia has no calories, and has been tested and deemed safe for consumption (though, haven’t all sweeteners?). It has no effects on blood sugar levels (in fact, it has been proven to help stabilize blood sugar levels) and is the least processed sweetener out there. Instead of causing diabetes like real sugar does, the stevia plant has been often used as a remedy. The good news is there are no reported side-effects of stevia- it’s 100% safe! It is exceptionally sweeter than sugar, so usage of it should be in very small amounts; a pinch will go a long way. Using stevia does take some practice, but the long-term benefits of leaving sugar and other artificial sweeteners behind make the adjustment worth it. Where to find it? A local health store. Trust me, it’s worth the investment.

Garden, Compost, Research Paper

So, I have some bad news... apparently I didn't qualify for the grant I spent 3 hours applying for, which is a huge dissapointment! Mrs. Price and I checked to make sure I was eligible for this grant, but I guess we missed something. Supposedly I'm supposed to be affiliated with a public school somehow, but I thought I could be affiliated with a private oganization (which would be Oakbrook). Hopefully I'll be able to apply for another grant before the year is over. I will be looking at other grant options during the 2nd semester, but until then, I've got too much on my plate. I still have some major corrections to make on my research paper. I need to add at least 4 or 5 more sources to my paper, which is already 16 pages long. This is a problem. I really want to stick to my original thesis, focusing on the how buying local organic food is better for the environment, one's health, and the economy, but that topic turned out to be a much larger area to cover than I anticipated. I'm finding that I could go on and on about those three things and probably write a 25 page paper easily. I wish there wasn't a page limit- and I'm not trying to sound like a nerd. We shall see.

As for the garden, the plants continue to grow, though some are suffering. I think it's because they require more water than I'm able to give. I try to water them every day and on the weekends, but sometimes I can't water them on one day of the weekend because I'm out of town or something. I water them every school day, though. As for the composting, it's still going. I'm debating whether or not I should end the compost once Christmas break arrives. Or else, it will become massive and overwhelming. I still go by the 4th grade, now about only 2 times a week, to empty the compost with them. They also take turns watering the plants. Every time I come by the get my three volunteers, they are all so excited to go, they fight over whose turn it is to be "the volunteer". I'm not sure if they're just excited to get out of class or if they're truly excited about the garden. Hopefully the latter.

$1000 or $0

So, this week I applied for my grant! I didn't think I could get it done, but after a few hours and a few meetings with Mrs. Price, everything was in order. Now all there is left to do is wait. I will be notified at the end of November on whether or not I was successful.

So, here's a little overview of what I plan to do this year. I'm not sure if I had mentioned before my idea to plant potatoes with the 4th graders or do a healthy food week at school. I requested $1000, so now I'm just crossing my fingers in anticipation. Here is a poor-quality phone picture of my plants' progress! This was taken a few weeks ago, so they have grown a bit more than this. But, this is when they are just poking their heads up out of the ground!

 Here are a few of the questions I answered:

Service-Learning Project Summary: (required)
Please provide a brief summary of your service-learning project (10 sentences or less). Please be informative and thorough addressing "who, what, when, where, and how" questions as they apply to this project. YSA reviewers will use these summaries to determine whether your project meets our criteria and is eligible for funding. YSA also uses these summaries to promote projects to the media. (Suggestion: you may want to revisit, revise and review your summary after you have completed your application.)

My goal is to teach the 4th graders of Oakbrook Preparatory School how to grow their own food, compost, and buy foods locally as much as possible. We have built three raised beds behind my school and are now currently growing all of the following: broccoli, squash, beets, onions, garlic, and kale. We built the raised beds near a water outlet and bought a hose so as to water the plants every day. I also bought a compost bin that is located next to the raised beds. After having introduced the concept of composting to the 4th graders, I made them a mini compost bin that I empty with three of them every other day. The students have planted the seeds themselves and empty the compost themselves as well, while I supervise. I want the students to be more aware of their environmental impact through their food choices and to do that, I have decided to grow a school garden. I also want them to be aware of the natural cycle that organic gardening promotes and the type of self-sustainable lifestyle it generates.

Community Need (required)
How will you engage students in identifying a community need? What data suggests that this project is needed?

There is a community need for supporting local farming and organic growing. I will engage students in identifying this community need by getting them physically involved in the planting of seeds, composting, harvesting, and preparing a meal with the vegetables grown. There is unlimited evidence that conventional farming is detrimental to the environment and society's health as a whole. By returning to traditional farming practices that we, as a society, used to cherish, the kids will begin to fully understand the significance in being self-sufficient and self- sustainable. They will attain appreciation for the seasonal foods that are grown locally because of their significant superiority of taste and health benefits. Overall, my project will reintroduce a lifestyle that has gone out of fashion, but is nonetheless valuable because of its environmental friendliness, health benefits, and community strengthening factors.

MLK Day (required)
YSA endorses the teachings and leadership of Martin Luther King, Jr. who encouraged all to give through service. What element of this project could be done or around MLK Day (Monday, January 17, 2011)?

On January 17, 2011, we will plant potatoes together as a group, with the idea that these potatoes will be donated to the Spartanburg Soup Kitchen; thus, increasing our outreach to the community. I will also have a local, organic farmer come in to talk the students about organic farming and what its benefits are to the community, the earth, and to our health.  During this week, we will eliminate junk food options on campus, replacing them with varieties of healthier snacks, to educate and create awareness of the benefits of healthy eating. We will also create signs, describing the nutritional information and comparing unhealthy snacks with their healthy counterparts. We will measure the impact of this week of selling healthy snacks to determine student response.

Global Youth Service Day (required)
A significant component of the project must take place on Global Youth Service Day (GYSD).

What significant element of this project will take place on GYSD (April 15-17, 2011)?

On this day, we will harvest the vegetables and create a meal together consisting of them. It will be a significant experience for the students to experience the taste of something they themselves grew in their very own school-backyard. It will be a celebration of the entire year’s hard work of caring for the plants and an eye-opener regarding the care and attention it takes to grow food. This day will result with a fuller appreciation for food and an understanding of its significance and limited amount. On this day, we will also show a viewing of the documentary Food Inc., which demonstrates the value of organic local buying and educates the student body on how to live self sustainably and why this sort of lifestyle is more valuable. This increases our outreach to over 400 students and faculty.

Well, that is all for now. When I hear about the grant, I shall let everyone know!

Just Keeping On.

This week has been pretty uneventful regarding my senior project. My plants are continuing to grow, though I am a bit nervous about the oncoming cold weather. I hope the little guys can make it through the winter! Composting is still continuing. The 4^th graders are enthralled with the oncoming plants every time I take them out to compost. I water the plants every day that it doesn’t rain. I even travel the whole 15 minutes to Oakbrook on weekends to water them. That shows my dedication! I need to start thinking about a possible fence. Now that the research paper rough draft is in, I am waiting for its return so that I can make my corrections. The next big thing on my list is to apply for the grant for $1000. The application is due on the 9^th, and I have yet to start it. I am confident I will be fine and I think I definitely have a chance at getting it. We shall see. Unfortunately that is all I have for now on my project update. Til next Friday when I have something more to say- probably regarding the grant!

Here is a picture of the compost bin I made for the 4th grade a few months ago.

Sprouting Seeds!

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve planted my seeds and they’re growing marvelously! It might be due to the unusually warm weather and the amount of rain we’ve had lately, but the little guys are sprouting! I go to water them on the days it doesn’t rain and see their little heads peak out, and oh, do I feel proud. I have a warm sort of affection towards them. The strange unseasonal humidity is doing them good. As usual, I’ve been continuing the composting with the 4^th graders. They are just enthralled with the growing plants- I point out to them the barely visible buds sprouting out of the dirt. Today, I turned in my rough draft for my research paper, which was supposed to be a minimum of eight pages and maximum of twelve, but turned out to be a whopping 16 pages- and I used mainly two resources. I know, I’m a little crazy. But, I’ve been learning a lot as the result of all my research and it fascinates me! I had a lot to say and so I couldn’t bring myself to limit my typing. Now, I must focus on applying for a grant in order to pay for everything involved in my project. It’s due November 9^th and I’m pretty confident that I will get it. I shall keep everyone updated! Recently I was doing some reading and came across the idea of perhaps organizing some sort of 4^th grade field trip where they all go to visit one of our local farms. Then, they can really see how a local, organic farm really operates, which I think would be beneficial to their understanding of local, organic, and seasonal food.  I suppose if I wanted to do that, it would have to be within the next few weeks, so I need to have a meeting with the 4^th grade teachers to see what they think of the idea. ‘til next Friday!