Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Monday, September 28, 2009

Sprouting Interest




Lawrence Journal-World Features Reporter Sarah Henning came to the Okanis Garden on September 23 to interview students and gather information for her story, "Sprouting Interest: School's Garden Teaches About Food Economy," published Wednesday, Sept. 30, on p. 1C, http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/sep/30/sprouting-interest-schools-garden-teaches-about-fo/ .

First-grader Finn is quoted in the article. When asked about his favorite part of the garden, Finn said, "I like to pick the basil, just because it's yummy."

Sunday, September 27, 2009

A Beautiful Week in the Garden





Gillian’s weekly log:
This was another beautiful week in the garden!

Tuesday, Sept. 22:
Harvested beans with the Sunflower (early childhood) students. Harvested the last of the ripe heirloom tomatoes :( . Harvested Sun Gold cherry tomatoes.

Wednesday, Sept. 23:
Harvested leeks. A reporter from the Lawrence Journal-World interviewed students, faculty, staff, and me about the garden. Harvested spinach with the 1st graders. Started weeding and mulching the kale area.

Thursday, Sept. 24:
Picked flowers and herbs and prepared for the CSA.

This past week's weather:
The high for the week was 86, and the low was 48!  (Fall is here!!)
0.1 inch of rain for the week.

We intended for the painted corn to be for this year’s CSA, but the plants did not yield enough for all the customers. We’ll use the colorful ears as decorations and seed-saving; perhaps the students can make jewelry from the seeds.

In the Okanis CSA bag this week: Rose Finn Apple Fingerling Potatoes, Yard Long Pole Beans, red onions, leeks, heirloom tomatoes, spinach, herbs, flowers, e-recipe.

And More Signs




More Signs





Signs of the Times







Prairie Moon students and teachers made wooden garden signs of the various crop varieties.

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Kaw Valley Farm Tour, October 3 and 4


The Okanis Garden at Prairie Moon Waldorf School has been included among 18 area farms and gardens to be featured on the Kaw Valley Farm Tour. Prairie Moon will hold an open house throughout the tour, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4. Classrooms and school shop will be open. Farm tour visitors will see the rain tank system, recently inhabited worm bin, a soil display, and the 10-row, 50' wide October garden.

Bountiful and Eventful








At the beginning of the week, Barbara wrote, “I just got back from the garden and, as always, I'm in awe of this little garden and its production!”

Gillian’s weekly log:
This week was bountiful and eventful!

Tuesday, September 15th:
Harvested loads of tomatoes. The Merc Deli bought 20 lbs; Genovese bought the remaining 27 1/4 lbs.

Wednesday, September 16th:
This was a very eventful day. First, it was the first day to use the water tanks! (We have not needed to water since the tanks were finished.)  I watered for about 4 hours and noticed about a third of the tank was gone.

Second, staff from television station KTWU, Channel 11 Sunflower Journeys program came out and recorded the students in the garden for an upcoming show about Prairie Moon and the Okanis Garden. Kris's class helped harvest cherry tomatoes, and Bret's class dug the rest of the fingerling potatoes.

The students and I harvested 6 pounds of yard long pole beans, and I sold them to the Merc Deli. I harvested 20 colored sweet bell peppers, about 2.5 lbs of greens (spinach, kale and arugula), and also harvested even more heirloom tomatoes!  Wow! Those tomatoes are so productive. The greens are the first of the fall harvest.

Thursday, September 17th:
Picked flowers and herbs.
Thursday evening Genovese presented another tomato festival, which I attended. They used the Velencia heirloom tomatoes from the Okanis Garden in an amazing bison stew!  

Saturday, September 19th:
I spent about an hour saving seeds.  I have lots but can save many more for the Kaw Valley Farm Tour, coming up Oct. 3 and 4.  We should have plenty.

Sunday, September 20th:
Worms!!!  (The Prairie Moon worm bin constructed during the 2009 summer session has been awaiting occupents.) My dad came to Lawrence, and we went out and gave the worms a new home.  He gave me detailed instructions on how to feed them. They can be overfed very easily, especially when they're trying to get established. I'll see if they're eating this coming Tuesday and go from there.  I can write out the instructions on the care this week.

This past week's weather:
No precipitation and the average high was around 80.

In the Okanis CSA bag this week: Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, heirloom tomatoes (Yellow Bell Plum, Japanese Black Trifele, Valencia), mixed fresh greens (spinach, arugula, kale, nasturtium petals), sage and basil, flowers, e-recipe.

Inaugural Year Customers



So far, the following have become Okanis Garden market customers in this, the garden’s inaugural year:
Community Mercantile Deli; Community Mercantile Produce Department; Genovese, La Parrilla, and Zen Zero; WheatFields Bakery Cafe; Downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market; Okanis Community Supported Agriculture Subscribers. We are grateful for these customers dedicated to supporting the local Kaw Valley food system! Proceeds of Okanis Garden sales benefit Prairie Moon Waldorf School.

Pictured is (1) a sign designating Prairie Moon as the local farm source for one batch of tomatoes for sale on a Community Mercantile Produce Dept. display; (2) the four remaining pints of Okanis Yellow Bell Heirloom tomatoes for sale--many more pints had already been sold! (The "Conventional" sign means that the Okanis Garden is not "certified organic," even though the gardeners follow organic practices. There is a years-long process to become truly "certified organic.")

Mountains of 'Maters


Gillian’s weekly log:
It was a busy week in the garden filled with tomatoes, still!

September 8th:
high: 75  low: 62  precipitation: 0.20
Weighed out 52 pounds of heirloom tomatoes!
The Merc Deli bought 20 lbs., the Merc Produce Dept. bought 18 lbs., and Wheatfields 10 pounds; the rest will go for the CSA. Harvested fingerling potatoes.

September 9th:
high: 77  low: 66  precipitation: 0.38”
Cleaned fingerling potatoes with the little students.  It was so cute and I wish I had my camera! Harvested cherry tomatoes. Harvested and cleaned leeks. Harvested the rest of the onions. Harvested heirloom tomatoes.

September 10th:
high: 82  low: 67  precipitation: 0
Harvested flowers and sage

September 13th:
weather: high: 78  low: 64  precipitation: 0
Seed saving (heirloom tomatoes for next year).

In the Okanis bag this week: Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, Heirloom tomatoes, Rose Finn Apple Fingerling potatoes, mixed onions, sage bundle, flowers, e-recipe.

A Week of Tomatoes





Gillian’s weekly log:
This week has been a week of lots of tomatoes!

September 1st:
high 74, 0.01 precipitation. Sorted and weighed heirloom tomatoes
Picked cherry tomatoes with the first graders.  Lots of fun!
Weighed and sorted out the split cherry tomatoes (13 lb total and 4 lb of splits). Harvested the painted corn. (The corn is beautiful but not enough ears to use for other than decorations and seed-saving.) Delivered to the Merc15 lb of heirloom tomatoes and 9 lb of cherry tomatoes.

September 2nd:
high 72, 0.1 inch precipitation. Harvested Japanese Black Trifele tomatoes. Harvested and cleaned leeks. Harvested Valencia and Yellow Bell tomatoes. Harvested cherry tomatoes. Weeded half the radishes.

September 3rd:
high 77, no precipitation. Sorted and weighed tomatoes. Picked flowers with students. Harvested basil.

About 8 pounds of tomatoes had splits. Also, there were about 3 ounces of basil that was wilted. I gave these to the school for 4th-5th grade students to make marinara sauce.

September 6th:
High 78, no precipitation. Harvested tomatoes!  There are so many!

In the Okanis CSA bag this week: Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, assorted heirloom tomatoes, large-leaf Italian basil, Leeks, flower bouqet, e-recipe.

200 Pounds of Produce

Community Mercantile Market & Deli
901 Iowa Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
785-843-8544

News Release

Contact: Susan Harper, Owner Services Coordinator

For Immediate Release

Local School Garden Supplies Produce to Merc Deli

Lawrence, KS (September 1, 2009) – Squash, heirloom tomatoes, pole beans, leeks, sage, potatoes and more. The young gardeners of the Okanis Garden at Prairie Moon Waldorf School, 1853 E. 1600 Road, grow it all and sell it to the Merc Deli, where it is turned into delectable salads, entrees and side dishes. Chef Sula Teller, food services manager at The Merc, has purchased more than 200 pounds of fresh organically grown produce from the Okanis Garden so far this season. She anticipates purchasing more fresh produce throughout the fall. Prairie Moon School revenues from the sale of the produce will fund the completion of the garden shed designed and under construction by the 3rd grade class, as well as providing start up funds for the 2010 garden.

To celebrate the Eat Local Lawrence Challenge, Chef Sula created salads featuring Okanis produce for the Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market patrons to sample during the August 22 market. Prairie Moon students were delighted to discover their products at the market. Okanis Garden volunteer mentor, Barbara Clark, as well as other Prairie Moon representatives were present to answer questions about the Okanis Garden; among other facts, people learned that Okanis is an early English spelling for Kansas, the ‘people of the south wind’.

The Okanis Garden was established with a grant received from the Elizabeth Schultz Environmental Fund through the Douglas County Community Foundation. The school was also awarded a Kansas Green Schools Water Quality Grant to develop a nature curriculum, to fund instruction at a Water summer camp and to develop a rain barrel system.

Partnering with the Prairie Moon Waldorf School on the garden project are Citizens for Responsible Planning and the Community Mercantile. More assistance, support and advice comes from the Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market, Rolling Prairie Farmers Alliance and the KU Center for Sustainability.

First Week As Garden Manager



Gillian Luellen began work as Garden Manager on August. 25. Gillian earned a B.A. in environmental science from the University of Kansas in 2005. She lived from 2005-2009 in Japan, where she taught and participated in World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). With WWOOF, she worked at a sustainable, organic vegetable farm which hosted children at weeklong camps. During the fall of 2009, Gillian is enrolled at Johnson County Junior College to obtain a Sustainable Agriculture Certificate.

Gillian's weekly log:
My first week at Okanis Garden has been wonderful, and I'm still so happy to have this opportunity!  It is a beautiful thing you have all worked hard to create.

Tuesday, August 25th:
The weather was sunny with a high of 88 degrees.
I watered the seedlings for about 4 hours in total. Put up a support system made of t-posts for the gourds.  The gourds are not taking to it too well; we will need to continue lifting them onto the supports.
Harvested Sun Gold cherry tomatoes as well as some Yellow Bell tomatoes that were in great need of harvesting; delivered over 20 pounds of Sun Gold tomatoes to the Merc.

Wednesday, August 26th
Weather was scattered storms with a high of 81.
Picked all the yard long beans I could find, about 5 pounds total; harvested some more Sun Gold Cherry Tomatoes; harvested Japanese Black Trifle tomatoes until the rain came pouring down. Thunderstorm! Bagged beans.
The thunderstorm quit. Harvested and cleaned leeks, harvested more cherry tomatoes, weeded the seedlings.

Thursday, August 27th
Weather: high 76, low 66
Picked flowers and herbs, made bouquets and got bags ready for the CSA.
The Yellow Bell Tomatoes harvested Tuesday, as well some previously harvested, contained many splits so we decided not to sell them to the Merc.  We gave some away to CSA members and for class snacks.

Sunday, August 30th
High: 70
Harvested heirloom tomatoes.

In the Okanis CSA bag this week: Sun Gold cherry tomatoes; yard long pole beans; Rose Finn Apple Fingerling potatoes; onions; leeks, fresh basil, sage, ang borage; flower bouquet, e-recipe.

Tomato Festival

On August 27, Garden Mentor Barbara Clark and her husband David attended the “Locally Raised Tomato Festival: A Salute to Local Farmers.” Participating Lawrence restaurants Genovese, La Parrilla and Zen Zero purchased Okanis Japanese Black Trifele tomatoes for the celebration. Barbara wrote, “Oh my! What an amazing meal! If I I die tomorrow it will be with a smile on my face. [Restaurant owner] Subarna gave credit to Prairie Moon Waldorf School for their Heirloom Tomatoes. All the chefs came through after the completion of the meal and greeted all the happy, satiated folks. What a joy it was.
Lawrence is so lucky to have local restaurants so committed to local producers."

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Prairie Moon Goes to Market



On August 22, Sula Teller, Community Mercantile Director of Food Services, and Lily Siebert, Community Mercantile Staff member, sample about 750 salad portions made with Prairie Moon Waldorf School Okanis Garden produce to Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market customers. Market coordinator Tom Buller organized this special chef’s demonstration, and Prairie Moon teachers, students, and parents were on hand greeting customers and answering questions about the school.

Handfuls of Fingerlings!





Week of August 16-22, 2009, delivered to the Merc Deli: 17 1/2 lb. cherry tomatoes and 10 oz. sage.

In the Okanis CSA bag this week: Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, Rose Finn Apple Fingerling potatoes, onions, herb bundle, flower bouquet with herb bundle, e-recipe.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Peak of Harvest

Gardeners’ notes compiled August 15:
The workload doubles. We are not only at the peak of harvest, but we are also cleaning up spent rows and preparing new seedbeds for fall crops: Planted spinach seeds on Aug. 10, radishes and beets on August 11, kohlrabi and arugula on Aug. 15. Twenty-one and one-half lbs. of Sun Gold cherry tomatoes were delivered to the Community Merc Deli on August 10.

This week in the garden, Julie found earth worms 10” long and “as big around as my little finger”!

The heirloom tomatoes coming on are “amazing”--sleepless nights were for naught! “It's a testament to the fertility and good drainage of these Capability Class 1 soils. I would bet Okanis Garden has some of the healthiest, happiest tomatoes in Douglas County,” said Garden Mentor Barbara.

In the Okanis CSA bag this week: Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, Onions (yellow, white, and red), leeks, Italian large leaf basil, cucumbers, flower and herb bouquet, recipe.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Okanis CSA – Very First Customer on Very First Day!




Gardeners’ notes compiled August 10:

August 4 - Harvested cucumbers and cherry tomatoes.

August 5 -Harvested for CSA: rest of Yukon Gold potato row, leeks, and Sun Gold cherry tomatoes. Delivered to Mercantile: cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, yard long pole beans.

August 7 was the very first pick-up day for the new Okanis Garden Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program, and Garden Manager Julie (center in picture) and Garden Mentor Barbara (right) celebrated with very first customer Anne (on left)!

In the Okanis CSA bag this week: Sun Gold cherry tomatoes, King Richard leeks, Yukon Gold potatoes, assorted fresh herbs, flower bouquet with opal basil, recipe.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

It’s Easy Being Green


On July 31, Waldorf Association of Lawrence Board of Directors President Rick Mitchell represented Prairie Moon Waldorf School at the first-ever Kansas Green Schools Conference, "It's Easy Being Green: Innovation, Inspiration, Implementation." As part of a panel of grantees talking about their Kansas Green Schools projects, Rick described the Okanis Garden Water Quality Grant, made possible by the Kansas Association of Conservation & Environmental Education and Kansas Department of Health & Environment. The 2009 Kansas Green Schools grants were awarded to two Kansas high schools and Prairie Moon Waldorf School. The conference, held at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita, Kansas, was attended by educators and others with schools from throughout the state of Kansas.

Garden Journal July 27, 2009 - July 31, 2009

Gardeners' notes compiled August 5:

July 27 - With rain predicted for tonight and tomorrow, harvested approximately 4 lbs. of Sun Gold cherry tomatoes. Cherry tomatoes tend to split after a rain. Rain came by late afternoon. Nine grades campers harvested in the garden: yellow crookneck squash, cucumbers, and the first yard long pole beans. Students found a tree frog in the pole beans!

Tied up tomatoes. Tried bamboo supports and twined the corn. Weeded and mulched corn/gourd row; lemon cucumber and two kinds of beans doing well in same row. Stink bugs--adult vine borer?-- abundant in the row, brown jewel-like eggs on underside of leaves. Yellow and black (both striped and spotted) cucumber beetles also present in that row but not causing damage. Plants seem more susceptible to them when they’re young. (The Japanese delegation visiting on Jun. 29 recommended using a reflective material to deter them next season.)

July 29 - Merc delivery: cucumber, cherry tomatoes, pole beans, squash.

July 31 - Foliar-fed everything except the cherry tomatoes. The corn row needs t-post reinforcement; the bamboo isn’t strong enough. The birdhouse gourds are growing rapidly, some already 4” long. This is a very productive plant.
The squash row is covered in borers in all stages/generations. The transplanted squash seem more susceptible than direct-seeded squash.
Harvested the last few (small) yellow crookneck squash.
Harvested yellow onions. Tops were dead, but all were fine, good sized.
The heirloom tomatoes have a lot of fruit! They have come a long way since our wacky late spring.
The peppers are setting small fruit and more blossoms; relative low amount so far, about four per plan.
The zinnias and cosmos are looking good.
Pulled out all the squash.

Garden Journal July 20 , 2009 - July 24, 2009

Gardeners' notes compiled July 27:

July 20 - Harvested 30 lbs. of cucumbers. Harvested more squash.
July 22 - Harvested Yukon Gold potatoes with campers Lauren, Enni, Julia, and Stara.
Harvested and made Merc delivery: Yukon potatoes, squash, cucumbers, basil, tarragon, sage, cherry tomatoes.
July 23 - Pulled dead squash plants from row, freeing 1/3 of the row.
Staked and twined corn and gourds (removed one that looked like it was covered in a grey ash; Barbara thinks they were eggs).
Leaving flowers on opal basil; they are for flower arrangements, although edible, too.
July 24 - Harvested herbs with grades campers. Quinn and Max helped harvest squash, cucumbers, and Sun Gold cherry tomatoes.

Garden Journal July 13, 2009-July 19, 2009

Gardeners' notes compiled July 19:

July 13 - Tied up tomatoes; harvested squash with two campers Lauren and Bella.
July 14 - Cut back basil.
July 15 - Harvested carrots (woody/starchy) with grades campers. Delivered squash order to The Merc.
July 19 - What amazing weather! Enjoying the temperatures, although they do make one a little unsettled...low 50's in July in Kansas...what's next?!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

First Kansas Green School in Douglas County



On July 15, a final report was submitted for the Kansas Green Schools Water Quality Grant awarded earlier by Kansas Association of Conservation and Environmental Education (KACEE) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. This grant advanced Prairie Moon Waldorf School, the first Kansas Green School in Douglas County, as a leading environmental school in northeast Kansas. Three major goals were fulfilled through the grant: (1) to develop a Prairie Moon Nature Curriculum, including a garden curriculum, which will teach about non-point source pollution; (2) to offer a 2009 Prairie Moon Water summer session, including instruction about water quality and water conservation; and (3) to constuct a rain barrel system for watering the Okanis Garden and other beds and plants on the school grounds.

For (3) above, it was determined to construct a rain tank system, consisting of two 425-gallon farm tanks, elevated on cinder blocks.

Garden Journal June 3, 2009-July 7, 2009

Gardeners' notes compiled July 10:

June 3 - Mulched basil and peppers. Watered seeds.
June 5 - Foliar-fed entire garden with fish emulsion.
June 6 - Cucumbers up, pole beans have grown considerably.
June 8 - Carrots in tomato rows germinated. More corn and gourds in north row up. Fed Barbara’s compost to tomatoes. Planted EZ Pick snap beans near corn.
Planted borage seeds in gourd/bean row.
Flushed irrigation lines to remove calcium and mineral deposits.
June 14 - Squash blossoms! Several on many plants. Potatoes with lots of blossoms. More rain and thunderstorms in the schedule...as well as above and below average temps. How's that for Kansas weather? Let's just keep our fingers crossed we don't get hail!
June 15 - Yellow crookneck squash developing.
Foliar-fed.
Took soil sample from tomato row. Delivered sample to Douglas County Extension Agent Jennifer Smith: There are four forms of nitrogen in the soil. Extension office tests for two; they make recommendations for fertilizing and provide no N numbers. Jennifer said that next year, add compost before planting. Potassium is only an issue at 800-900. Tomatoes likely were struggling with the weather.
June 17- Weeded and mulched one tomato row.
(One day this week, early childhood class toured garden and planted radishes in cucumber row.)
June 22 - Weeded cucumber bed, top-dressed with compost.
Squash ready!
Watered overnight.
June 24 - Harvested squash, delivered to Sula at the Merc.
First cosmo blooms! Some zinnias budding.
First row of tomatoes have blossoms.
Aphids on one squash blossom. One limb of a squash plant was dead, found a break, suspect vine borer.
Cucumber being eaten by cucumber beetle (yellow and black stripes found on many plants).
Heavy weeding and mulching.
Tied horizontal twine for pole beans.
Soil very wet under mulch over potato plants.
June 27 - Weeded, mulched.
June 29 - Posted wooded garden signs made by students.
July 1 - Teachers and summer students harvested squash.
July 3 - Harvested more squash, added to July 1 harvest. Heavily harvested basil.
Several squash are diseased. Plants have yellowing leaves and rotting fruit. Yellow crookneck are developing a black and fuzzy mold. Green striped squash is turning yellow.
July 5 - Just got back from the garden and it is looking pretty green and growing there. Saw one Louisville Slugger (zucchini)...they just jump to that size when you turn your back.
July 6 - Led cucumbers up trellis. Added vertical twine for yard long pole beans.
Wrapped plants around corn; some gourd plants are too heavy.
Some carrots in leek/oinion row are mature enough to harvest.
Cultivated and mulched pole beans.
Mulched zinnias.
July 7- Early childhood class harvested squash. Another squash plant is dead--the one closest to the one earlier removed due to signs of borer.
Foliar-fed everything except squash and the herbs soon to be harvested.
Harvested cullinary sage and Mexican tarrigon.
Made second delivery to The Merc–squash, tarragon, sage.

Precious Soils and Water



For the Japanese guests who visited Prairie Moon on June 29, Douglas County Extension Agent Jennifer Smith gave a great presentation on soils and water.

Using an apple as an analogy for the earth, Jennifer addressed how little soil there is on the planet that is suitable for growing food. She cut up an apple, representing different parts of the earth. One thin apple sliver represents the soils where food can be produced. Capability Class #1 soils equal 2.8% of all the soils in Douglas County; Capability Class #2 soils equal 8.2%, for a total of 11%, which can be grown on, with no limitation. Capability Class #3 through #8 represent increasingly limited capabilities.

The soils of the grounds of the Prairie Moon Waldorf School are Capability Class #1–among the most precious 3%. The top soil of the Class #1 soils around Prairie Moon is said to measure up to 90”. Jennifer Smith easily pushed a coring tool into the ground, drawing up a plug of top soil which far exceeded the measurement of the tool.

One gallon of water represents all the water on earth. One-half to one cup of water out of the gallon represents all the fresh water on earth. The rest of the water is salt water. Only one drop of that cup is available for use; the rest of the cup is deep groundwater or in the soil and air. With only the one drop, there is an urgent need to protect it and keep it pure. No new water is being formed or made–it cycles over and over.

Global Partners to PMWS




On June 29, the Okanis Garden was honored to welcome a delegation of Japanese organic farmers from Global Partners for Local Organic Foods (see previous blog post). Also visiting the garden that day were: (Bottom Picture) Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market Coordinator Tom Buller, third from left, and Elizabeth Schultz, far right; and (Top Picture) Douglas County Community Foundation (DCCF) Executive Director Chip Blaser, standing. Elizabeth Schultz established the Elizabeth Schultz Environmental Fund (ESEF) through the DCCF; an ESEF grant was gratefully received by Prairie Moon Waldorf School to develop the Okanis Garden, first plowed in March, 2009.

Prairie Moon summer camp instructor Ms. Lana and her students serenaded the Japanese visitors with the garden song, “Inch by Inch."