Jan. 22nd, 2015 - Lettuce Harvest

Today's lesson at Ramon Corona Children's Organic Garden Project was garden safety.  We reviewed the garden tools we currently have and their proper uses....their dangers...their maintenance.  We organized our work groups and attempted to streamline our time in the garden, giving each group of children the opportunity to experience all of the garden.

Our Garden Is Growing

Planting the new garden bed was one of the stations we established today.  Martin was the supervisor at this station and the kids all loved working with him...and seeing the fruits of their labor grow.

Sergio especially liked the planting station

As our garden grows, so does its notariety.  Mothers, fathers, uncles and aunts are showing up to ask about the crops, techniques used.  Antonio is a wonderful diplomat for the garden and patiently answers all inquires with an experienced smile.

 Today's treat was being able to harvest lettuce for family dinner tables.

 The children patiently lined up for their share of the harvest.

Well....some not so patiently.  Waiting is hard work!

 We all pitched in and made magic happen.

 Our Compost Girlz hard at work

This amazing creature showed up in our compost pile.  It was easily 6 inches in lenght and camaflouged as a leaf.  As we prepared the compost pile we observed its behaviour and spoke of its attributes...all part of the garden lesson. 

I believe it is a Katydid or katídidos o catítidos.

Salad Harvest

A Dream Realized!  

We started the Ramon Corona Children's Organic Garden (RCCOG), we had the vision of one day gathering in a lush, verdant setting to sit with the children and dine on food they grew...and today we did just that!

And like a dream, that gets its input from our conscious, subconscious and who knows where else - minds, the community magically came together today to contribute to this lovely effort and create magic.

We started with our plan of making a garden salad using the food grown at RCCOG.  Everyone brought utensils, paper plates, home made dressing and fixins.  To this we added new starter plants, Moms and Dads materializing just when needed, 40 fourth graders bursting with energy, and alot of love.

Mouse Melons

The guys overlooking the activity

Peppers, pole beans, lettuces are just a few of the contributions

Martin, Rocio and the kids all pitched in

The abundance of starter plants gifted to the program was astounding!

3 Amigos

Rocio oversees the pole bean planting 

Add some biocarbon cane compost...

And voila! 

The afternoon was a bustle of activity

 Martin contributed his own starters

The harvest was plentiful and full of beauty 

 Lining up for salads

Moms also chipped in 

The turnout was surprising  

Everyone ate 

Beautiful 

Sergio's Dad Also Helped

Enaj y Fco. Selfie 

Everyone worked side by side

Compost Kings

Anticipation

RCCOG, like any organic being, continues to live and grow and thrive the more we feed and nurture it.  It has taken on a life of its own.  If we continue to care for our garden, it will continue to take care of us.

We've seen how generous the community can be with this project.  May it be a methphor for our own lives.

We wish to thank Rocio, Martin, Jack, Pete, Jorge, Maestra Alma, Directora Sylvia, Antonio, Brad, the Moms and Dads, the staff at Ramon Corona and last, but by no means least, our wonderful 4th grade class.

Also, Gracias to all those not mentioned who have given to this project.

May we grow from love...Simohn, Enaj, Louraisha y Fco.