Special Assignments Groups

(Shed/Organization)

For our special assignments group we are in change of keeping the tools and she organized, as well as keeping track of each tool and make sure it is returned to its correct place in the shed. We plan on doing this by having each person check out the tool they are going to be using by putting their name, what tool they have, what time they checked it out, and what time they checked it back in. We realize that there maybe multiple numbers of a certain tool (such as a shovel) so we plan on taking colored tape and taping it around the handle and in that case you will put what color shovel you have.

For the shed itself, we still plan on putting shutters on the windows, cleaning up the inside more (getting all the dust and dirt out of there), putting some sort of lighting, and organizing the tools so that everything can be found easily and there is easy access to it.

For our experiment, our special assignment group plans on doing something with waste. We plan on having two different plants grow in little pots, one growing organically with nothing but organic material and the other grown in more of an industrial fashion with the use of plant enhancements etc. We are going to log what happens and see how they differ. Our question will be "How does a organic plant differ from a plant that is treated with waste grow?"

Reflection and Questions on National Geographic Reading

From reading the article, it gave me a new insight on what it is like to grow our own food and how people and other countries grow their food. Something that really struck me in the reading was the section where it talks about the farmers in India and how people are now dying from cancer and other various diseases due to the pesticides and how the water is no longer a good quality drinking water. It’s really sad how they have to suffer through that and to top it off the farmers are in debt.

Something else I found striking was how scientist want to plant crops that are modified so that they don’t have to use as much fertilizer to grow the plant and that can withstand time without water. I think that would be a great idea because then it would give plants a better chance to survive instead of dying and that could be food for people. Because it sounds too good to be true I want to know the downsides to these plants. Are they’re any? Are we currently working on mass producing more plants like this? If not, why?

I think one of our main problems with growing anything is still our reliance on fossil fuels. I remember reading somewhere in the article about how farmers still need fossil fuel based fertilizers in order to grow their plants. I think what we need to work on now is how can we press forward growing these plants without solely relying on fossil fuels? Is there a way we can use another source for fertilizer that is just as good, if not better then fossil fuel based ones? Is there a natural fertilizer we can use only on our plants so that we can grow them? Is it possible to use material found strictly only in nature to grow what we need to grow so we don’t have to rely on any human source? I think those are the questions we really need to focus on now in order to be able to continue growing food to feed our growing population.

Annotated Bibliographies and Our Plant

We plan on planting a bean plant for the 28 day growth project.

September 15, 2009

Farm Implements

"John Deere Launches New Tractor Line, Forage Harvester and Other New Equipment." Farm Industry News. 15 Sep. 2009 <http://farmindustrynews.com/farm-equipment/hay/0820-john-deere-launches-2010-equipment/>.

This article talked mostly about the new design of the John Deere farm equipment. He is currently making these items that he already has better during the down time in the rescission. Although this article isn’t primarily about different types of farm implements it does explain thoroughly about the farm equipment he makes and how they work as of right now. I though it was an interesting article because I find farm equipment to be something that is very important when working on a farm, without the right tools your farm is essentially pointless. So basically with this article it talks about the different type of farm machinery used and how it works.

Waste

"GreenerChoices.org | Electronics Reuse & Recycling Center." GreenerChoices.org. 15 Sep. 2009 <http://www.greenerchoices.org/ele

“Experts predict consumers will be replacing equipment more often in the future, leading to greater waste.”

This article was primarily about electronic waste; meaning waste in the form of electronics such as computers, television sets, cell phones, etc. I thought this was a good article to read because it gave statistics that were explained. From what I know, electronic waste is especially bad for the environment because of the toxic chemicals found in them and what they are composed of. They also cause harmful health risks for humans as well. I think that this is an important issue because I think when it comes to someone’s electronic they don’t think so much about recycling it but more of just throwing it in the garbage which can lead to dangerous effects.

Fair Trade

"TransFair USA | Fair Trade Overview." TransFair USA | Home. 15 Sep. 2009 <http://www.transfairusa.org/content/about/overview.php>.

“Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global marketplace.”

I thought this was a good brief article to read about fair trade because ti gives a good summary what fair trade is and what the benefits from it are. It uses simple, easy to understand vocabulary that makes it easy for readers to understand why fair trade is a good thing and who benefits from it exactly. Something that I read in the article that I like d was reading about fair trade workers are not laborers who are under paid or they re not child laborers. i thought that was a good thing to understand about fair trade farms because I think a standard stereotypical thought about farms is that the workers are in fact underpaid and work longs hours for it, it was nice to read that that is not the case here.

Senior Project

When watching the different presentations I didn't learn anything new I didn't already know, however when researching climate and atmosphere I did learn more about air pollution and how it is formed. I didn't read too much about how it affects our food and water but I think it would be interesting to look into that further and maybe incorporate that into my senior project in some way.

I also think the industrial food vs home grown organic food would also make for a good project. I think it would be interesting to learn more about how different the two actually are such as how a dorito differs from an actual fresh made tortilla.

Plant Research

Amanda Alipio

Period 1 and 2

Research on Plants to Plant

Tulip

-The tulip is a flower that is part of the Liliaceae family.

-They are a spring flower but are a cold weather flower. Although they only bloom in the spring they need a period of cold weather so they can rest between each blooming season. The tulip grows from a bulb that needs to be chilled before it is planted in the ground.

-They need to be planted in soil that has good drainage, it is also recommended organic material and fertilizer is mixed in with the soil it is planted in.

-Although the plant blooms in the spring I have researched how to force the flower to bloom during the time you want. In order to do that you would need to plant the bulbs in a place where it is cool and kept moist, then moved to the sunlight when the plant starts sprouting up around two inches.

-Tulips don’t need much space width wise, the sprout up to be about eight inches tall.

-When the bulb is planted they should be close together but not touching each other, maybe one or two inches apart.

-It is recommended that organic material and fertilizer is mixed in with the soil for the tulip but it is not required. Bone material is another idea for nourishment. Other then that, the soil just needs to be kept moist.

-The tulip likes neutral soil.

-This plant needs to be watered often enough to keep the soil moist. Maybe everyday by the sprinkler.

Interesting Fact- There are over 3,000 different varieties of the tulip

http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/exoticflowers/tulips

http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/find-plant.asp?q=tulip+flower

Poppy

-The poppy is a flower.

-Poppies can grow in almost any type of soil. They can grow in warm weather conditions and grow fairly fast.

-They are grown from seeds.

-There are many different varieties of the poppy and they come in different colors such as yellow, white, red, pink, yellow, orange, and blue.

-It doesn’t take long for poppies to grow. They can even withstand droughts. They bloom during midsummer.

-It is recommended that this flower has at least eight inches in room to grow depending on which type of poppy you are planting. They can grow to be twelve to eighteen inches high.

-They should be fertilized once a month to keep them growing at a steady pace.

-Poppies prefer slightly acidic soil.

-This plant should be watered at least every other day by a sprinkler. Although this plant should be watered it can go without water because it is a drought tolerate plant.

Interesting Fact- In some areas of the world, such as parts in Europe, the poppy is considered to be a weed.

http://www.gardenersnet.com/flower/poppy.htm

http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/find-plant.asp?q=Poppy+flower

Third Choice- Calla Lillies

What is one in thing in the natural world that you are curious about?

One thing in the natural world that I am curious about is bugs. Why are there so many and is there a way to get rid of them and if we do would that be bad for the environment surrounding them? Also, how do we as the humans affect the insects and their environment. How do the bugs help the plants? Do some plants need the bugs and which plants don't need them.