Every Thursday, Wavecrest, Santa Cruz Montessori Junior High attends the farm and becomes immersed in the daily rhythm. They are learning the various task and the hard work it takes to get food from the field to our forks. Here is some of what they have accomplished at the farm thus far:
Field Studies
In Field Studies we really get down in the dirt, pulling weeds and readying the land for new crops. We’re growing a multitude of beets and carrots, turning up the old pumpkin plants that grew, working compost into the soil, and sowing the tiny seeds for a bountiful harvest.
Field Studies has taught us how to take care of the bee boxes, and how necessary honeybees are to the local ecology. The farm is a beautiful place that is full of life and learning. It’s truly incredible.
-Grace Garbacz
Micro Economy
Micro Economy recently canned tomatoes at the farm. It was a new and good experience for our group since many people had never canned before. We got to boil the tomatoes, peel them, and jar them. We ended up canning 80 pounds! We also started our own micro economy farm stand. This is where we sell produce from the farm at our own school. We get to pick the produce, wash it, and prepare it for market. We also talked about how to find profits, costs, and wholesale prices. This could benefit us in working with money, at a store, bank, or restaurant in the future.
-Natalia Grossman
Health and Wellness
Health and Wellness is important because it teaches us important aspects of the kitchen. Another enthralling experience we receive is going to YCC and learning about and helping with the young children. In Health and Wellness, we also get a chance to take leadership in planning and preparing the meals. Each meal we prepare is planned by the students- from creating the shopping list to making the dessert. We also incorporate food from the farm as often as possible, which adds fresh and healthy ingredients to every meal.
-Sachi Nishikata
Art
At Live Earth Farm, the art group has worked on two different projects. The first consisted of helping the farm with thank you notes for their fundraiser. Each note was attached to a string, was hot glued to a pot containing a native grass. The thank you note invited them to plant and nurture the drought resistant plant. The second is working with our guide, Noel, to create an artistic alter for the Dia de Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). The group broke up into teams, each working on a different part of the alter. Some made paper marigolds, paper mache fruit, papel picado, and drawings of los angelitos.
-Kiera Andrea