Reflections and ideas

This project was a refreshing and informative experience. I have always wanted to garden and never had the chance to, so I feel like I made a wise choice with my project decision. I will definitely try to garden at home or help my family with gardening. In this aspect, what worked in this experience was that I, as well as other students, developed an appreciation for gardening and nature. While our lettuce did not grow, probably due to irregular watering, temperature fluctuations, and soil or sunlight needs, it helped me understand how to grow lettuce in plastic containers.

The location for our garden was most likely in the best place possible because there was ample sunlight and water. One issue we had was wind and rain damage which tore up the plants that were shallower. We also found that animals were an issue; they ate some of our plants. It was curious to find that the animal was selective and favored green peppers and cucumbers over the other plants.

In the summer, I will be at school for 2 weeks and I should be able to help ted to the garden. It would be great to be able to bring fresh and homegrown produce home to my family. I would be interested in putting up some kind of fence to protect the plants, if possible. As we discussed as a class, it will be important to tie up the tomatoes as thy grow and prop the pepper stalks. I learned about growing plants, tending to the needs of plants, and being patient with nature.

I really enjoyed the walk this week and I hope to be able to go to the farmer's market for our project culmination next week. There, I can speak to some growers and find out their suggestions for growing at home.

All in all, I found gardening, cooking, and blogging a rewarding experience. Thank you Ms. Halligan and Chef B for your time and energy invested in our project.

Style blogs

For the past few years now a hobby of mine has been reading style blogs. I read as if sampling fruit; each blogger has her unique style and taste. One of them likes to wear floral, one of them likes classic pieces and has great hair, and another one puts together such effortless looks that I wonder how she does it. One of my aspirations is to start a style blog one day! I would like to include food and DIY projects as well. I think that would be an enjoyable experience in college or beyond.

Garden Obstacles and Challenges

Since I've never gardened before, the act of gardening itself will be a new challenge for me. I can be somewhat germaphobic, so any anxiety about getting my fingers and arms in the dirt gardening will need to be overcome. However, I'm not too concerned about that - I think a main obstacle will be what happens to the garden after it is planted. I hope I will have enough time to help maintain the garden and keep it safe from pests or animals who might eat the plants. Other major issues are going to be maintaining the soil at an optimal condition for all the plants. Like anything, this garden will be a time commitment with a payoff that may take some time to come. I will be happy to work on it and nurture growth!

Town Hall Discussion and Emotional Sustainability

Last Wednesday we had a town hall discussion among teachers, students, administrators and custodial staff. Among the topics we discussed were emotional sustainability, recycling, and food. I was pleased to find that the encouragement of healthy lifestyles for students and faculty was a theme throughout the discussion.

Our talk answered questions about recycling and school lunches and brought up certain student issues. I noticed how some of the freshmen spoke about having 6 hours of homework a night, which seemed like way too much. I think time management was really essential to my adjustment to BCA as a freshman. In addition, we discussed the possibility of having healthier lunches and I hope these ideas come to fruition one day, even if it is after I graduate.

One topic that really hit home for me was emotional sustainability. It felt good to know that others are struggling with the same issues of balancing giving and taking on an everyday basis. This is something I need to remember as I try to improve my academics, extracurriculars, and physical health- mental health is just as important. This may mean putting something less important to the side while I focus on other things.

Last weekend I practiced yoga on Saturday and Sunday morning for 45 minutes. It was nice to open up my lungs and stretch my limbs early in the morning and it was a great start to the day. Like the picture at the beginning of this post, I feel like yoga is refreshing and liberating. It helps me maintain my emotional and physical sustainability.

Square Foot Garden Plans

Today Cathy, Maddy and I are planning what we will plant in our three-square foot garden. We would like to plant the following (All from Lowes)

- Blue Concord Grape Plant $14.98
- Strawberry Plant -10-Pack Quinalt Everbearing Strawberry $9.98
- Rosemary -2.5-Quart Pink Bog Rosemary (L4165) $6.98

- Asparagus - 6-Pack Jersey Giant Asparagus Hybrid $14.98 

- Blackberry - 2-Pack Darrow Blackberry Plant $14.98

- Potato - 5 Lbs. Goldrush Russet Seed Potatoes $19.98

This list has more than we can actually plant, but we wanted to gather ideas in case we cannot realistically plant some of these. 

Eating healthy

Lately I have been trying to eat healthier and reducing the amount of prepared foods that I eat every day. A typical day for me looks like this:
Breakfast: Fresh fruit, Trader Joe's organic golden flax cereal, organic nonfat milk, Greek style plain nonfat yogurt and a handful of almonds or walnuts.
Snack: apples, pears, or handful of nuts
Lunch: leftovers from dinner (combination of meat or fish for protein, vegetables, white rice. I try to make sure half of what I bring is vegetables.
Snack: Greek yogurt, hard boiled egg
Dinner: Chinese food that my grandmother has cooked
I've been trying to snack less between meals and especially after dinner. If I really need something I will put a large spoonful of Greek style plain nonfat yogurt, flax cereal, and almonds or fruit together which is pretty filling.

I've noticed that since I started eating more natural foods I've felt more energetic and focused. I hope to continue to eat like this!

Bringing sustainability (and healthy lunches) to my school

Today in class we discussed ideas to present to our school's Town Hall meeting next week for Earth day. I posed some questions that the panel at the meeting could discuss about various aspects of sustainability.

I wondered why my school does not offer students a salad bar. My school boasts an outstanding record of student accomplishments, yet only offers a sparse selection of prepackaged salads at lunch. Within these salads, I have found bland chicken, tons of shredded cheese, a few tomatoes, the occasional cucumber, and a handful of iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce has low nutritional value and a large part of the calories from the lettuce come from sugars. In a school that challenges its students academically, the greatest challenge of all may be selecting a well-balanced, nutritious lunchtime meal.

Considering students eat lunch in school 5 times a week for at least 180 days a year, that is 180 meals that could be healthy, or on the other hand, unhealthy. Many local schools including that of my regional district offer salad bars at lunch. This would not only be a better alternative to prepackaged salads, but would give vegetarians or vegans more choices on the lunch line.

Opponents to installing a salad bar might cite the expenses and labor involved in maintaining a stocked and diverse salad bar. I believe the benefits from having healthier cuisine in school outweigh the costs. Students need food for fuel, and the better fuel they are feeding themselves with, the better they will perform in their academic and extracurricular activities. I usually bring lunch from home as an alternative to buying lunch. However, I know if my school had a salad bar with peppers, various types of lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, chickpeas...the possibilities are endless...then I would probably get salad at least once a week.

Food for thought...