{"id":446,"date":"2021-05-11T00:06:26","date_gmt":"2021-05-11T00:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/?p=446"},"modified":"2021-05-16T16:22:58","modified_gmt":"2021-05-16T16:22:58","slug":"week-7-co-curricular-community-garden-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/week-7-co-curricular-community-garden-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Week 7 &#8211; Co-Curricular Community Garden Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Week 7 Theme(s): Alliums, Harvesting &amp; Nutrient Cycling (re-visited)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Remember to check the weather on a regular basis to stay informed on what\u2019s comin\u2019 up!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/forecast.weather.gov\/MapClick.php?site=sew&amp;textField1=47.03925&amp;textField2=-122.8914&amp;smap=1\">NOAA<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 click for weather<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/weather.wsu.edu\/index.php?page=station_details&amp;UNIT_ID=330151\">AGweatherNet<\/a>&nbsp;\u2013 click for weather<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Reading(s) for the week: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Runner Beans (pp204-206) &#8211; <strong>Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades<\/strong><\/li><li>Alliums (pp294-305) &#8211; <strong>Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades<\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1:1 Planning and Preparing (what&#8217;s coming up?)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hello again! Week 7 has arrived, and with it, a forecasted week of beautiful weather. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have very nearly finished the arduous process of creating planting beds in our space, yet all this shows what impact proper garden management can have for the gardener. If there was a possibility for more continuity from one season to the next, these pervasive species wouldn&#8217;t have as much of an opportunity to take hold; it doesn&#8217;t help that we came into a space that hadn&#8217;t been managed in quite some time&#8230; Regardless, we only have 3-4 more beds to prep within the space that we have claimed, and still it doesn&#8217;t quite seem like enough.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This week we will not only be building more planting beds, we will also be transplanting leeks and onions that I started from seed nearly 6 weeks ago. Onions are notoriously finnicky to start from seed and it is common for smaller scale gardeners to go out and buy onion starts or onion sets if they choose to grow onions in their space &#8211; this is perfectly acceptable but it is also far more expensive. Not only can onions be <em>finnicky,<strong> <\/strong><\/em>onions also require long periods in the field, some taking nearly 110-120 days to reach maturity. Not only that, but if the goal is to have a bulbous, <strong>long-day<\/strong> onion\/shallot, then the onions need to be started early in the season to ensure that they have good foliar-growth by the time that the onions are triggered into the &#8216;bulbing&#8217; process. Onions have a photoperiodic relationship to day length and the formation of the classic onion <em>bulb<\/em>; it is believed that (for long-day onions), once the days\/sunlight have reach 14-16 hours long, the onions  can then begin forming the bulb. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>~Tuesday (5\/11)~ <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tuesday will begin with some garden check-ins, to reorient ourselves with what has taken place in our beds over the weekend. Spot weeding, watering and pea-trellising can all be done during this time as well. Once we are ready to really get into it, we can begin building another bed and prepping for transplanting the onions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the end of Tuesday, it would be great to have another bed created, the onions transplanted, and the bed&#8217;s weeded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>~Thursday (5\/13)~<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We will begin our Thursday meeting by gathering at the Herb Garden, in the Organic Farm proper. We will get a chance to see and  hear from Alegra, and the other herb gardeners, about the progress that they have been making. In addition to all this, Beth &#8211; the farm manager &#8211; is going to meet with us and talk about some herbs that she would like to have fill in the newly empty spaces (now that the buttercup is gone). Beth always has a surplus of beautiful herbs and spices that fit well into this type of herb garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the beginning of the quarter Alegra and I started an entire tray of Hyssop from seed; I will be bringing these plants to the garden on Thursday so that we can transplant them into some of the open space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210509_174424224-e1620779267206-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-457\" width=\"320\" height=\"426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210509_174424224-e1620779267206-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210509_174424224-e1620779267206-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210509_174424224-e1620779267206.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 320px) 100vw, 320px\" \/><figcaption>Hyssop, seeded on April 6th<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>At about 10:30, I am going to move back over to the community garden to spend some time transplanting leeks and weeding any beds that need some help. Anyone that wants to join me is welcome to do so, but anyone that wants to stay in the herb  garden is more than welcome to stay!! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1:2<\/strong> <strong>Tending and Management (what we did) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This week was so fast paced and productive that it is hard for me to know where to even begin filling this blog in; I suppose that it makes the most sense to begin in chronological order, and so:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>~Monday~ <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Evergreen shellfish-gardens had once been used regularly but have since been abandoned for years, with no student interest to keep them alive and tended. Through loads of help and dedication from many students, faculty, staff, and alumni, the shellfish gardens have begun being revamped. Nearly a year ago (2020) I was fortunate enough to get to help with reseeding the oyster garden    where we seeded nearly 2500 tiny oyster babies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This Monday, with a continuation of my fortune, I got to join in on the first harvest and tasting of the very same oysters that we had seeded only a year prior!! I truly believe that oysters are an iconic, integral, and influential part of the Pacific Northwest culture and I feel so honored to have gotten to witness some of my peer&#8217;s hard work turn into this incredible opportunity, an opportunity that  holds so much importance and beauty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To keep it brief, it was beyond special getting to sit on a sunny beach of the Eld Inlet, on the Evergreen campus, surrounded by friends and peers, eating the very same delicacy that has been enjoyed by endless generations before me. I must shout out to Emily Wilder (Evergreen Alum) and her guidance and leadership through the shellfish garden revamp, this wouldn&#8217;t have been possible without her generosity and knowledge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_190927157-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"463\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_190927157.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210510_190927157\/\" class=\"wp-image-463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_190927157-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_190927157-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_190927157-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_190927157.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Queen Emily Wilder, looking out at what she knows best: Coastlines &amp; Shellfish<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_194444156-e1621030545163-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"464\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_194444156-e1621030545163.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210510_194444156\/\" class=\"wp-image-464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_194444156-e1621030545163-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_194444156-e1621030545163-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_194444156-e1621030545163.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Pacific Oyster, grown at Evergreen State College<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\">photos by Caleb P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>~Tuesday~ <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tuesday, too, was a very big and productive day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To start: of all the crops that we will be growing this season, onions are the crop that I am looking forward to the most. I have always struggled with getting a nice, girthy, uniform &amp; round crop of onions, for in the past I have either started the seeds too late in the season, had poor germination in a green house, or lost them at a young age when directly seeded in the field. I feel like I have nailed it this season and I am excited to see how they fare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is all to say that we prepared a bed and transplanted the onions into the field on Tuesday, and they are looking strong, virile, and ready for a long\/hot summer.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_165236633-e1621030532748-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"462\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_165236633-e1621030532748.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210510_165236633\/\" class=\"wp-image-462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_165236633-e1621030532748-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_165236633-e1621030532748-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210510_165236633-e1621030532748.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Yellow Onions moments before moving out<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210511_203110519-e1621030568406-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"466\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210511_203110519-e1621030568406.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210511_203110519\/\" class=\"wp-image-466\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210511_203110519-e1621030568406-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210511_203110519-e1621030568406-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210511_203110519-e1621030568406.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Yellow Onions, moved out! <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\">photos by Caleb P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>~Wednesday~<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I spent an entire day in the garden on Wednesday, working on managing some of the overgrown plots that haven&#8217;t been claimed by any other community members to this point. In a effort to continue managing the noxious weeds that have been thriving in the Evergreen Community Garden, I began clearing out beds with the end goal of <em>solarization. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you look back to week 1, I mention how I tilled a section of our bed and covered it with a black tarp to warm the soil and suppress the weeds &#8211; doing this is the process of occultation. Solarization follows in many of the same thoughts behind occultation but rather than using a thick and opaque tarp, a thick <em>clear<\/em> tarp is used. The goal of solarization is to burn out and suffocate the existing plants and seeds that reside in a planting bed. To do this, it is important that the solarization tarp remains as close to the soil surface as possible, and that the edges are buried or covered so that there is little air escaping\/entering the tarped area. When the weather is hot (like it has been), the temperatures under the tarp can skyrocket, and with little-to-no air getting to the plants, they quickly die back and begin to decompose. Temperatures can also get so extreme when solarizing that it can kill seeds that reside close to the soil&#8217;s surface. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_180733071-e1621030576817-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"467\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_180733071-e1621030576817.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210512_180733071\/\" class=\"wp-image-467\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_180733071-e1621030576817-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_180733071-e1621030576817-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_180733071-e1621030576817.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">abandoned plot<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_182644997-e1621030584242-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"468\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_182644997-e1621030584242.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210512_182644997\/\" class=\"wp-image-468\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_182644997-e1621030584242-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_182644997-e1621030584242-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_182644997-e1621030584242.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">abandoned plot, cut and cleared<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_204317304-e1621030592316-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"469\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_204317304-e1621030592316.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210512_204317304\/\" class=\"wp-image-469\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_204317304-e1621030592316-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_204317304-e1621030592316-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_204317304-e1621030592316.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Solarization begins<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_204331950-e1621030602346-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"470\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_204331950-e1621030602346.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210512_204331950\/\" class=\"wp-image-470\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_204331950-e1621030602346-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_204331950-e1621030602346-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210512_204331950-e1621030602346.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">After 2 minutes of being covered, the trapped air begins to condense into moisture<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\">photos by Caleb P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>~Thursday~ <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thursday was an exciting and momentous day. It began with an &#8216;all hands on deck&#8217; weeding session in the Evergreen Herb Garden that Alegra and Le&#8217;Allen have been working hard to take back from the clutches of Buttercup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After putting in some good work, nearly clearing an entire section of the herb garden, we walked over to the community garden to partake in our very first harvest of our 2021 growing season! The salad mix and spinach that we seeded nearly 2 months ago had reached a harvestable size, and so we did just that! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery aligncenter columns-2 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_180919875-e1621030611361-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"471\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_180919875-e1621030611361.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210513_180919875\/\" class=\"wp-image-471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_180919875-e1621030611361-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_180919875-e1621030611361-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_180919875-e1621030611361.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Ashley and Ali harvesting the spicy salad mix! <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_183908759-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"472\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_183908759.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210513_183908759\/\" class=\"wp-image-472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_183908759-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_183908759-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_183908759-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_183908759.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">Salad and spinach bagged up for all 9 T\/M community gardeners<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\">photo by Caleb P<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video controls src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210513_181722214_2.mp4\"><\/video><figcaption>Without an industrial salad spinner, we improvise: a clean pillowcase and two spinney-arms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>~Friday~<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Riding the good feelings of the week up to this point, I arrived at the community garden quite early on Friday morning, looking forward to getting some work done before the heat of the day set in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The early mornings inside the community garden are always so peaceful and beautiful. I seldom see another human but rather have a chance to commune with the adolescent robins and young song sparrows. I relish in these early morning visits as it is my chance to check in on our plants and make plans for forward movement without much distraction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As the day progresses, I often run into other community gardeners and we talk about the state of things, as well as ways that we can support each other and make the garden a healthier place. Often I hear what things people would to see change in the garden, but we also sometimes revel in the beauty of the space and in the excitement we share for the coming season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once I have finished <em>meditating <\/em>over the space, I get to work on the odds and ends that go unchecked during the week such as spot weeding, mounding up the potatoes, thinning out the carrots, picking the peas up off of the ground, etc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This week, following the salad\/spinach harvest, I filled in those rows with some more green onion seeds and some bok choy transplants that were perfectly ready to go into the ground. To finish out the day (and the week), I began digging out another bed; I saved the worst section of our field for last and so I spent most of the time digging up comfrey roots that were bigger around than my own forearm. With the space that we have left I can imagine that there is enough room for three more beds, one bed for tomatoes, one for cucumbers and one for peppers. The tomatoes and cucumbers are ready to transplant, and peppers are close behind! <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210514_165436310-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210514_165436310-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210514_165436310-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210514_165436310-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210514_165436310.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Bok choy starts getting ready to nestle in near the peas! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1:3 Shishito Pepper Variety Trial<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Slow progress for the pepper trial, waiting for the peppers to reach a transplantable size. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-3 is-cropped\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165255293-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"490\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165255293.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210515_165255293\/\" class=\"wp-image-490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165255293-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165255293-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165255293-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165255293.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">peppers<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165306878-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"491\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165306878.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210515_165306878\/\" class=\"wp-image-491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165306878-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165306878-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165306878-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165306878.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">peppers! <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165315809-e1621100057789-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"492\" data-full-url=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165315809-e1621100057789.jpg\" data-link=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/pxl_20210515_165315809\/\" class=\"wp-image-492\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165315809-e1621100057789-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165315809-e1621100057789-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165315809-e1621100057789-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/729\/2021\/05\/PXL_20210515_165315809-e1621100057789.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item__caption\">PEPPERS!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption\">PEPPERS<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I have made plans to finish the prepping of the planting beds but there is still some time before the peppers will be planted. I will be finishing the experimental design for this trial by the end of the Spring quarter, and I plan to write this much in the style of a <em>materials and methods <\/em>section of a peer reviewed article so that I can have a jump start on the reporting of the trial. As this becomes more and more complete, I will be posting my deliverables on this blog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1:4 Mentorship Reflection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether it is the act of learning agricultural practices or the act of teaching agricultural practices, the process is one that cannot be rushed. Plants and plant cycles occur on a schedule so opposite of that of humans and this can cause of a lot of concern or worry for prospective growers. The art of plant growth takes time and the changes that occur can seem to move at a snail&#8217;s pace; for this reason, it is important for me to remind myself that I am not the master of the plants that I tend, but rather just their steward. The plants themselves are their own master, and masters they are when it comes to soaking up sunlight and water to be used as energy to grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With all of this in mind, I was aware that I would be a prolonged journey of fulfillment for my peers and I in this garden, as it takes time for our seeds and plants to reach an edible size. That is why this week was so exciting for me &#8211; not only did we get to harvest and eat oysters that we have be tending to, but we also got to harvest and take home the very first batch of vegetables from the garden we have be tending to. For me, the first harvestable crop of the season is such a momentous benchmark and I never want to take it for granted. The work that we have all put into growing these vegetables should be recognized, and what better way to pay our respect than to eat a nice fresh salad made of the very crops we have harvested. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While I do have moments where I am wish that the payoff wasn&#8217;t so prolonged, I remind myself that these are designed to grow and reproduce, it is what they want to do and they will do it at their own pace. From this, I feel that there is a lot that we can when it comes to our own learning and teaching. When corners are cut and the pace is rushed, the end product is never as fulfilling; I may grow a plant quicker by drowning it in soluble N fertilizer, but the resulting plant-growth will be lanky, weak and lack a balanced nutritional make up, and I believe that it much the same for our education.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is easy to say these things, safely sitting behind my laptop screen, and I recognize that life is never so cut and dry but for myself, I am trying to focus on the work that fulfils me. It helps me to attempt biting off more manageable chunks of projects and to prioritize what I know to bring good, clean value to my life. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Week 7 Theme(s): Alliums, Harvesting &amp; Nutrient Cycling (re-visited) (Remember to check the weather on a regular basis to stay informed on what\u2019s comin\u2019 up!) NOAA&nbsp;\u2013 click for weather AGweatherNet&nbsp;\u2013 click for weather Reading(s) for the week: Runner Beans (pp204-206) &#8211; Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades Alliums (pp294-305) &#8211; Growing Vegetables West of the &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/week-7-co-curricular-community-garden-project\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Week 7 &#8211; Co-Curricular Community Garden Project<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":417,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"geo":{"latitude":-23.3287983,"longitude":43.9453125,"description":null},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/417"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=446"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":500,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/446\/revisions\/500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.evergreen.edu\/tmtaa-portfolio-sp21-caleb-p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}