A Visit With Our Farm Friend - Edgar Hercila

The farm teaches our kids so much. It also has taught the adults involved many lessons and the importance of networking with other garden loving people, to form a team to help support and sustain our farm.

So, along came one of our farm friends, Edgar. We originally met him when he came to our farm to help set up our beds and then again to our plant day. Edgar lives and gardens in California and we met him through our wonderful garden partners The American Heart Association. He is an Iraqi veteran who came back with a passion for gardening and teaching kids that passion as well. He was in town this week, so we planned a school wide event and spruced up the farm during recess. We had expanded shale to mix in and perineal plants and herbs that needed to be moved to our native water wise area.  It was great fun!

It was a great day with the excitement of digging in the dirt with our community and even some of our farm loving teachers.

We're Mixing It Up With Expanded Shale

Our farmers are in full swing, getting the farm prepped for our Spring planting day.

Since we are working closely with our wonderful Master Gardeners, we have opted to choose the methods that they have perfected. They use a mix of soil amended with compost and shale.

A truck load of expanded shale was dumped on the farm this week. Expanded shale is used in making concrete. It is very porous and has cavities that can absorb water and release it slowly at a later time. This makes it great for gardens during long, hot, Texas summers.

The truck came a couple weeks early so my family came out to help me move the shale to the beds and our new farm field. Thanks guys!

Now we are in the process of mixing, stirring and turning the beds to get all the parts mixed well before we plant.

The farm club has a lot of work cut out for them, but there is always fun along the way.

February Food From The Farm

One of our primary farm teams served up a feast from the farm this week. Delicious farm fresh broccoli - cheese casserole and a giant salad.

They made their salad from mixed greens and root veggies that are growing out on the farm this winter. They also were celebrating the 100th day of school which made for some cute pictures in their 100's Hats.

The kids ate every speck!

If they grow it, they will eat it! Yum!

It's February And We Are Gearing Up For Spring

A farm record was set this week by one of our farm team friends. She harvested the biggest carrot to come from our farm!

We are growing happy healthy farmers!

Our wonderful Master Gardener Guru taught us about Lady Beettles. Did  you know that they were a beettle?

Our farm team got our veggie starts growing in our big south facing back windows.

After harvesting cabbage, this farmer had fun with some of the huge leaves.

A trend was started on our farm during cabbage harvest.

We took time out to remember the birds that make their way to our farm.

The kids broke up into groups and took turns holding the ladders and filling up our bird feeders.

Teamwork was the theme while we climbed ladders to feed the birds.

Our morning farm friend continues to feed our worms breakfast every few days. Vermicomposting is amazing!

The Farmers investigated the beds to check out what was going on beneath the soil. They are big fans of our worms outside too!

Everyday we are enjoying the healthy benefits of being farmers at our school! E I E I O....,

Growing Goodness (Even In The Winter)

In the winter farming is easy! You rarely need to water. Weeds and pests are practically non-existent. The kids are amazed to see what grows this time of year. Why do some things freeze while other plants thrive? The Moss Haven Farmers are learning lessons about the plants that are winter hardy and which ones are not.  We are loving the veggies that are growing goodness on our farm all winter long!

While the beets are growing underground, we can snip at the tender leaves to add color to our salads.

Cabbage plants don't mind freezing temperatures either.

Carrots are root veggies too and do well in our Texas winter climate.

Parsley is growing in our Medieval garden bed. 

Tasty garlic is growing underground.

French Sorrel tolerates the cold winter temperature as well.

Lettuce is ready to be picked.

Oregano is an herb that is readily available in the Winter.

Rosemary is one of the hardiest herbs on our farm.

Thyme does well in a Winter garden too.

Sage is a handy plant to have in the Winter for a chicken dinner. Yum!

Our fennel is making a comeback in its second season.

Even in the Winter, there is so much growing on the farm. Our kids benefit from the lessons that a garden can teach all year long. We are looking forward to our Spring planting coming soon. E I E I O..., watch us grow some more.