Kids Garden Class 2016

[ducks4you]

decompose- (verb) def: What composers do after they die.

You know, this is also gardening.

 

[thistlebloom]

I had the second garden class meeting Wednesday after school due to Memorial Day.
The kids took a temperature reading of their bales, and they have heated up nicely.
The start temp at the first class was 60 degrees F, and Wednesdays readings varied from 81 to 103 degrees F. Pretty good decomposition starting to happen there now.

 

[thistlebloom]

I have a surprise for the kids lesson next Wednesday.

Last year in this garden space that the kids are using this year I had gophers move in and eat about three rows of my potatoes.
This year I've been keeping an eye out and yep, one of the little buggers came up in my shed. He must have trusted Google maps because he came up right under my tiller.
He also tunneled over to the garden and came up just inside the fence.

So I collected my Macabee traps and set 3 of them in his busiest tunnel Saturday afternoon. Yesterday I checked on progress, and saw that one of the strings that attach the trap to a stake was tight. Yay. Took the cardboard and soil that covered the hole I made to set the traps and only two traps were visible and still set.
The third had been drawn backward down the tunnel, somehow the nylon cord had come off it. Used the tunnel probe stick to lift the soil away working my way backwards, and as I flipped the chunks of soil up, the gopher and trap came with it. Ack! Made me scream even though I was expecting it.

It was a HUGE male. I'm sure he has kids all over the property now, so it's game on gophers! I'm ON to ya!

So...back to the surprise for the kids. I'm changing up my lesson plan a little and talking about garden friends and enemies. Gigantor the Gopher will be exhibit A. He will probably gross the girls out, but I'm prepared for the boys to want a closer look. Got latex gloves all ready for them. He is resting in the freezer right now (properly bagged and labeled so I don't make some humiliating mistake at dinner time).

 

[Nyboy]

glad that is one pest we don't have in NY. Good luck trapping offspring.

 

[ninnymary]

ewwww.....frozen and bagged? Heck no, not in MY freezer!

Mary

 

[bobm]

I have a surprise for the kids lesson next Wednesday.

Last year in this garden space that the kids are using this year I had gophers move in and eat about three rows of my potatoes.
This year I've been keeping an eye out and yep, one of the little buggers came up in my shed. He must have trusted Google maps because he came up right under my tiller.
He also tunneled over to the garden and came up just inside the fence.

So I collected my Macabee traps and set 3 of them in his busiest tunnel Saturday afternoon. Yesterday I checked on progress, and saw that one of the strings that attach the trap to a stake was tight. Yay. Took the cardboard and soil that covered the hole I made to set the traps and only two traps were visible and still set.
The third had been drawn backward down the tunnel, somehow the nylon cord had come off it. Used the tunnel probe stick to lift the soil away working my way backwards, and as I flipped the chunks of soil up, the gopher and trap came with it. Ack! Made me scream even though I was expecting it.

It was a HUGE male. I'm sure he has kids all over the property now, so it's game on gophers! I'm ON to ya!

So...back to the surprise for the kids. I'm changing up my lesson plan a little and talking about garden friends and enemies. Gigantor the Gopher will be exhibit A. He will probably gross the girls out, but I'm prepared for the boys to want a closer look. Got latex gloves all ready for them. He is resting in the freezer right now (properly bagged and labeled so I don't make some humiliating mistake at dinner time).

Thistle... May be humiliating today but this brought up long forgotten memories ... During WWII my family and I were lucky to eat ( often raw for fear of a cooking fire would expose our location and we would be shot) fine fare like critters such as this as well as our horses that were hit by a bomb and were killed, worms, snails insects , berries, mushrooms and even grass while escaping the Red army on one side and the Natzy army on the other side while trudging through the forests for months on end .

 

[Nyboy]

Up at country house locals do what called beast feast. Your more unusual meat is served was invited but didn't go.

 

[Smart Red]

My fifth grade class used to have a 'fall feast' during our study of Native Americans for our family members. Squirrel, deer, pheasant, wild turkey, even bison were brought by many hunting fathers (and my sister). Miss doing that sort of hands on activities.

 

[seedcorn]

@Nyboy R U kidding me? I'd b there at opening of door. We really need to talk.... Do you want to keep your man card?

 

[Smart Red]

I'm with seedcorn, Nyboy. I'd be there in a shot with a large marble rye and bottle of bubbly. I love eating wild game. Snake and raccoon might have been the strangest I've tried, but try it I would.