the project
Students will start a vegetable garden to grow their own vegetables using sustainable farming methods. These methods promote healthy insect and animal life and enrich the soil with natural fertilizer, thus promoting biodiversity in our local community. We will grow a variety of vegetables because a diverse crop yield provides improved nutrition and better health for all.
the steps
Our fifth grade class was granted a small (15' x 8') plot of land to grow vegetables in a nearby community garden. Students will start growing vegetables in March in the classroom, from organic seeds. At the same time, students will begin to produce compost in the classroom by starting a worm bin to which they will add food scraps from the school cafeteria. (The compost will be used later on to fertilize the garden vegetables.) After they have prepared the ground in our community garden plot, students in early April will transplant the seedlings that will have grown from the seeds planted in our classroom. Students will monitor and maintain the vegetable garden three to four times a week through watering, fertilizing, weeding and pruning. Most of the vegetables will be harvested by students by mid-June.
why we're doing it
The environmental problem our project will address is the loss of biodiversity due to industrial farming. Industrial farming, with its use of big farm machines and toxic chemicals/pesticides, promises bigger crop yields. However, these chemicals kill helpful plants and insects and damage the soil. Mega farms usually produce only one crop and for only a short time period.
budget
project budget: 1) two fluorescent light assemblies (inside grow lights) #666504 @ $69.16 each x 2 = $138.32 (from Carolina Biological Supply Co., (800) 334-5551) 2) 15 2 cubic foot bags of Miracle Gro Garden Soil, #73452300 @ $7.47 each x 15 = $112.05. (from Home Depot 3) four Burpee Eco-Friendly seed starter kits, @6.99 each x 4 = $27.96 (from Home Depot 4) fourteen packets of Burpee organic vegetable seeds (two packets each of peas, mesclun lettuce, chard, cucumber, green pepper, carrots and tomatoes), @ $1.49 each x 14 = $20.86 (from Home Depot 5) two gardening hand tools sets, #078-0597, @ $13.45 each x 2 = $26.90 SUBTOTAL: 326 ioby processing fee: $49 TOTAL: 375
photos
This is where photos will go once we build flickr integrationdonors
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Anonymous
