Organic And Sustainable Farming

I really enjoyed the organic and sustainable farming class organized by a local farm about 20 minutes drive from my home. They are interested in educating people about farming/gardening. My interest was in edible veggies but the class was broader and gave me a good understanding what sustainable farming was and our relations to the environment.

One of the things we got to learn is how to make compost. It would be hard to do it in a small area such as the balcony but in that farm, space was not an issue. One could see the different stage of composting. One puts in some leaves and or wood chips, then adds some other raw kitchen waste such as eggshells, vegetable leaves or vegetable/fruit skins that are not good for cooking or consuming. Once they are mixed, just set it aside. The thermometers in the pictures are used to measure the temperature of the compost. As it start composting, the internal temperature will increase. As it ages, the color will become darker and darker.

Compost

It was great to see a lemon tree in the farm. I wish I could have one in my balcony too. How nice to pick your own lemon or any other kind of fruit from your own garden. =)















On the final day of the class, we were allowed to pick some vegetables that we planted earlier on. Each person picked something they liked. I found a caterpillar or a worm in the veggies when I got home. My son insisted that it was a caterpillar so he kept it as a pet for a few days. Despite we gave it some water and new veggie leaves each day, it died.  Too bad.









After the class, I first thing that I started planting was French beans. The two small plants give us 6 pieces of beans over the last 3 months. Not bad for a first try, I would say.