Day Seven summer school

Today we had a visitor, local beekeeper, Ms. B. came with all of her equipment to teach us about beekeeping.

Everyone got to take a turn trying on the special hat and gloves. Then we all got to turn the crank used to separate the honey. She passed around the box parts for us to see, but the bees had to stay at home today.

Then it was onto the bus for a field trip to the local Demonstration Garden maintained by the local master gardeners.

We saw special equipment used to hoe the great big beds that they maintain. Students enjoyed the wide variety of crops and saw some more of those beetles that have been bothering our school garden also.

No time for journaling or weather today. Tomorrow is our last class. How the time has flown.

Day Six Summer School

Today is COMPOSTING day --

Yesterday we sent home a note and a zip-lock bag for kids to fill with items for a compost pile.
We have a guest presenter, a master composter and volunteer with the master gardeners group from the region. After the classroom lesson, we head outside to see the humus that a good compost pile can produce. The Mr. P. shows us how to unhook the sides of the mesh box that holds the composting leaves, grass and garden clippings. Our students take turns forking the pile back into the enclosure. This is our way of "turning" the pile. After it is turned, they check the temperature with a special probe and find the temperature climbs to 173 degrees. That's really hot!

Today we also discover our very first pepper growing on one of the plants.

As always, it's also a day to journal and note what has changed.