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November marked the end of a month of service learning at Zenger Farm where Emily and Terry gained hands-on experience on 6 acres of urban farmland. |
On our first visit we toured the farm and learned about sustainable farming practices, healthy soils, and wetland ecology. It was harvest time, and everyone had a chance to sample a bunch of different vegetables. We learned a little about beekeeping and raising turkeys, too.
On our second visit Emily and Terry watered, pruned, cleared pathways, repaired stone borders, and spread mulch. They also came up with a few questions.
Emily: How long does a vegetable grow? How do the roots separate? What food do they need to survive?
Terry: How far do you put seeds apart when you plant them? I want to learn how that vegetable is (a purple vegetable by the tomatoes.)
We got some answers on our next visit, plus we learned all about chickens.
Terry and Emily cleaned the chicken coop, and gave them some fresh bedding, food, and water.
Terry took this picture of a beautiful early fall tree on our final visit. We noticed how the seasons had changed over the course of the month. Thanksgiving was approaching, and the turkeys were suspiciously absent! We admired all the different varieties of squash that was now being harvested, and strung some peppers to be dried and stored for the winter. Thanks to Alice and Lindsey at Zenger Farm for being such great hosts and offering us this amazing opportunity.
