Service Learning At the Campus Farm

     Service Learning at The Campus  

     Community Farm at EDCC

 

Title: EDCC Campus Community Farm

Hours volunteered: 2 hours on June 8^th from 2:30-4:30pm

Organizer: Marni Swart

Email: Marni.Swart@email.edcc.edu

Goals of Event: To teach students about sustainable living and what goes into farming and producing healthy fresh vegetables and fruits.

Duties: I did a few different tasks during my two hours at the campus farm. I helped weed out a long garden bed with three other students. There were a lot of weeds. We got it all cleaned and ready for the squash plants to grow well. Later Marni had two other students plant some vegetable seeds in the beds we had previously weeded. We also weeded out the garden bed that had raspberry bushes. We removed of the weeds and morning glory that were climbing on the raspberries bushes. This will allow the raspberry bushes to grow and produce more raspberries. Then I had the opportunity to help harvest two different types of lettuce and kale. We then washed the vegetables off with cold water to clean them and get them ready. The fresh produce was given to volunteers to take home and donated to local food banks.

Reflection:

I had a great experience at the Campus Farm. I was really impressed with all the different crops being produced. I got to work with other student volunteers. It was great to work on a project together and see the results right away of what we accomplished. It was wonderful to see how we worked together for a common goal. It has really emphasized to me how important volunteering is and how it can make a great impact on our community. I was very happy to learn the crops are donated to students and local food banks. This shows how the farm really helps students and the community. It really made me appreciate all the hard work that farmers do and how rewarding gardening is. Farming and gardening are very beneficial to us in several ways. One connection between the campus farm and human biology is the food that is produced there and consumed. The produce (vegetables, fruits, herbs, etc.) are very fresh and healthy. They contain very important nutrients and minerals that our bodies need. The farm produces kale and broccoli that are excellent sources of Calcium. Calcium is essential for our bodies to function. It helps support our bones, plays a crucial role in muscle contraction, the release of hormones, and nerve function. As well as much more. Farming and gardening outside allows one to absorb Vitamin D from the sun which is also very important for our bodies and the absorption of calcium. We can also get a great workout from gardening. Which is wonderful for our health. Human biology is interdisciplinary since our lives involve several different kinds of biology. Becoming aware of all the different aspects in very important. Whether it be from the cellular level to the anatomy of a human it is very important to learn as much as possible.

 

Questions:

1.      How long does it take to make soil from the compose?

2.      What does it take to run a community garden/farm?

3.      How much produce/crops are produced annually from the farm?

4.      How many volunteers are needed to keep the farm up and running?

 

5.      How many different types of crops are being produced at the farm?