Why Growing Food is Essential
When you feed yourself, you free yourself. Food is a necessity so learning how it grows decreases outside dependency. Gardening/Farming connects you to nature. Many many people don't even know where their food comes from and the growing procedures used to grow it. The opposite is known once we grow our own
Produce No WasteUse Common WIld Weeds
*Dandelion *Chickweed *Clover *Thistle *Yarrow *Shepheard's Purse *Mullein
*Burdock *Yellowdock *Lamb's Quarter *Purslane *Wild Rice *Mugwort
Various Avenues through Nature
*Hiking *Camping *Farming *Cooking *Trading *Marketing
*Distributing *Teaching
Principals of Permaculture
*Earth Care *Community Connection *Use Renewable Resources
*Produce No Waste *Patterns&Designs *Climate *Store Energy
When to Begin?
My observation and personal contact with the work proves that with a well-equipped teacher the wee tots, the kindergarteners are none too small.
Correlation
A real bug found eating on a child's cabbage plant in his own little garden will be taken up with vengeance in the composition class. He would much prefer to spell the real, living radish in the garden than the lifeless radish in the book. Likewise he would prefer to figure on the profit of the onions sold from his garden than those sold by some John Jones of Philadelphia.
Partnership
From the experience of teachers in the past, it works well to have 2, 3, or 4 children to form a partnership.
Selection of Site
Location Matters; take your surroundings into consideration. Restaurants, bodegas, mechanic shops, small stores, and other places of businesses can add success to the garden
Selection of Tools
A hoe, rake, and spade are essential. Tools should be carefully cleaned and dried each time they are used & put in the place set apart for them.
Preparation of Soil
After the land has been cleared of objectionable things such as stumps, stones, etc., it is ready to be spaded or plowed up deeply and thoroughly. Turn every furrow or spadeful of Earth upside down, following this process with a thorough chopping over with a hoe or harrow until all of the large clods are broken. Finish with the rake.
Selection & Seed Testing
The child should be taught how to select large, plump and well developed seeds and plant them in a dish of fresh sand, moistened with clean water and kept in a warm place as a test for vitality, or germinating powers. A box of moistened Earth kept in a warm place may also serve the same purpose.
Planting
It should be kept in mind that seeds should be planted more shallow in heavy clay loam than sandy; and deeper in dry weather than in wet (this especially applies to seeds that germinate quickly).
*Plant all seeds to a depth of 3x their greatest diameter
Climate
Climatic changes that occur annually
(a) The washing of the soil by heavy rains;
how it impacts soil & effects plant growth
(b) The effect of excessive heat and cold upon plant
(c) How some of these conditions can be modified and
overcome by tillage, and other soil manipulations
How to classify insects
Insects are classified by 2 categories;
1. Those that eat the leaves & other parts of the plant
2. Those that suck the juices
When you feed yourself, you free yourself. Food is a necessity so learning how it grows decreases outside dependency. Gardening/Farming connects you to nature. Many many people don't even know where their food comes from and the growing procedures used to grow it. The opposite is known once we grow our own
Produce No WasteUse Common WIld Weeds
*Dandelion *Chickweed *Clover *Thistle *Yarrow *Shepheard's Purse *Mullein
*Burdock *Yellowdock *Lamb's Quarter *Purslane *Wild Rice *Mugwort
Various Avenues through Nature
*Hiking *Camping *Farming *Cooking *Trading *Marketing
*Distributing *Teaching
Principals of Permaculture
*Earth Care *Community Connection *Use Renewable Resources
*Produce No Waste *Patterns&Designs *Climate *Store Energy
When to Begin?
My observation and personal contact with the work proves that with a well-equipped teacher the wee tots, the kindergarteners are none too small.
Correlation
A real bug found eating on a child's cabbage plant in his own little garden will be taken up with vengeance in the composition class. He would much prefer to spell the real, living radish in the garden than the lifeless radish in the book. Likewise he would prefer to figure on the profit of the onions sold from his garden than those sold by some John Jones of Philadelphia.
Partnership
From the experience of teachers in the past, it works well to have 2, 3, or 4 children to form a partnership.
Selection of Site
Location Matters; take your surroundings into consideration. Restaurants, bodegas, mechanic shops, small stores, and other places of businesses can add success to the garden
Selection of Tools
A hoe, rake, and spade are essential. Tools should be carefully cleaned and dried each time they are used & put in the place set apart for them.
Preparation of Soil
After the land has been cleared of objectionable things such as stumps, stones, etc., it is ready to be spaded or plowed up deeply and thoroughly. Turn every furrow or spadeful of Earth upside down, following this process with a thorough chopping over with a hoe or harrow until all of the large clods are broken. Finish with the rake.
Selection & Seed Testing
The child should be taught how to select large, plump and well developed seeds and plant them in a dish of fresh sand, moistened with clean water and kept in a warm place as a test for vitality, or germinating powers. A box of moistened Earth kept in a warm place may also serve the same purpose.
Planting
It should be kept in mind that seeds should be planted more shallow in heavy clay loam than sandy; and deeper in dry weather than in wet (this especially applies to seeds that germinate quickly).
*Plant all seeds to a depth of 3x their greatest diameter
Climate
Climatic changes that occur annually
(a) The washing of the soil by heavy rains;
how it impacts soil & effects plant growth
(b) The effect of excessive heat and cold upon plant
(c) How some of these conditions can be modified and
overcome by tillage, and other soil manipulations
How to classify insects
Insects are classified by 2 categories;
1. Those that eat the leaves & other parts of the plant
2. Those that suck the juices
