Service Learning at the community college farm.

 Workparty at the Edmonds Community College Farm. 2/23/18

12:00pm-3:00pm

Organizer: Lia Andrews (lia.andrews@email.edcc.edu) and the Bio-anthropology department

      While anyone is welcome to volunteer at the campus farm, this event was slightly different because the purpose of this event was to primarily to spread information and inform those who have never been to the farm, or learn information about the farm, and in addition, do some work around the farm. 

     There were many people at this event, so we had to divide jobs into several groups. One group learned to make a fire in the "garden kitchen" and learned to cut logs, while others (including myself) shoveled bark and dirt, and transported it into the greenhouse to make new trails to walk on, and transfer some to a compost pile. Unfortunately, it was really cold, windy, and snowing, so we were limited to doing these jobs. 

Photo Credit: Shannon Doan (friend)   

     Although I already knew what the campus farm was and what you can do here, I found it very interesting to learn new facts. There is an area in the farm called the "Farm Kitchen" which sits on Native American ground. I learned about the construction of the entire farm and how everything was built, and learned how they cook things at the Kitchen. One thing I did not know was that the snow was actually beneficial to the crop beds, because they acted as insulation to keep the heat in during the cold weather. We also learned about the importance of the greenhouses in the farm because it is made to keep heat inside, keep the cold out, and keep pests away. Learning about all these facts may seem to be dull, but it is very important as to how science plays a huge role in society. Something so simple as spreading the word about the farm can make a huge difference in our society and hopefully, attract others to volunteer at the farm and help take care of it (when it is not snowing, and not covering almost everything). 

     We briefly learned about bees and their role in the farm. Without them, the plants in a farm would not be able to reproduce. This ties in to the the topic of ecological niches in an environment that we learned in class. Taking the bark that is near fruits and vegetables and transferring them to compost area away a little further away from the farm, or using them to create new pathways helps preserve the farm, so the trees that are planted can use all the dirt and bark in order to grow their fruits and vegetables for us to eat. Biology is interdisciplinary because you can apply it to many different fields of study. as a biologist, you do not have to be an expert in all fields of study, but it is good to have basic knowledge of everything, like for example, knowing the optimal pH soil has to be in order to have optimal conditions to grow fruits and vegetables, or know the physics behind the instruments you use in order to measure any variables present. 

Some questions raised...

1) How are pests (i.e. wasps) that are found around the farm during the spring or summer dealt with?

2) What other jobs can you do in farm when it is in harsh conditions like snow? 

3) Are there any "invasive species" that plague the farm aside from weeds?

4) Are there other types of greenhouses that serve a similar function, but functions based on its structure?