Week 6 Update - Young Farmers

Today was one of those days that just flowed. We started off with a few games, including a rousing game of “whoosh ball” which involves passing an imaginary ball around a circle with several layers of silly rules that make for a pretty hilarious time. 

During circle, we discussed what the students did last week, and I introduced this week’s topic of native plants. We discussed the importance of growing native plants in our landscape in order to support the native fauna that relies on it, as well as the detrimental effect that invasive plants have on our local ecosystems. Even if homeowners plant 20% of their landscape with Texas natives, they are making a difference!

We then went for a little hike to harvest sumac berries (a.k.a. lemonade berries) from a shrub at the front of the property. Plants in the sumac family include tropical edibles such as cashew and mango, in addition to “not so edible” plants such as poison oak and poison ivy. This native Texan sumac is not only edible, but the berries (though tart) are quite nutritious with a high level of calcium and potassium. True to its name, we were able to make a lemonade-like tea, which everyone really seem to enjoy.

After snack, we planted two varieties of native milkweed, a plant which is critical for the survival of monarch butterflies. We also assisted the farm by starting seeds of butter leaf lettuce, sugar snap peas, sweet peas, and spinach. This is such a great activity for this age - they are able to work and chatter at the same time, and before they know it, we have a dozen flats planted!

We were grateful when the humidity lifted, and a nice breeze came in with some cloud cover. Big change in the weather this weekend!

Lunch included another round of brain-twisting riddles and learning the cup game from our talented Teague, followed by several rounds of team Bananagrams. We had enough time to finish off the day with Eagle Eye, a favorite hide-and-seek style game that inspires students to expand their senses in a natural environment. 

PLEASE remember to send old clothes next week for our scarecrow project! We’ll be entering it in the contest at our Fall Festival on October 30th. (Have you bought your tickets yet?)

Have a great weekend!