Friday, October 21, 2016

Farm Stay 1, October 16 - November 3, 2016

by Max
November 2

So far, Farm Stay has been pretty fun, we have done a lot of fun activities including but not limited to: the Most Dangerous Game (though it's not that dangerous), felting, whittling, and cooking.

We also do micro-economy. In micro-eco we get to make a craft and sell them for real money. This year I made cutting boards and pumpkin spice bark with my friend Jonah.

We also have occupations. This year the two groups are woods and food. In the woods group we get to cut down trees and make various crafts out of that wood. In the foods group we get to make lunch for everyone.

I think that farm stay has been super fun, and though I want to come back, I can’t because I am in 8th grade so this is my last year of the school, I can only hope that the future Farm Stays will enjoy it as much as I did. 


by Jonah
October 31

On Monday October 31st we celebrated Halloween by going to a bowling alley. I found out I am not very good at bowling but it was still fun. After that we ate pizza and went "tritty treeking". Tritty treeking was uneventful for the most part (we got a lot of candy though). We were probably the oldest kids tritty treeking. I was of course dressed up in a FS1 made Barry.B Benson (bumblebee) costume. It was amazing and I got a few strange compliments from random people. After we went back to the Land School there was an intense candy trade, but i was to tired that I just gave people candy. All in all I am very glad I got to spend Halloween with the awesome people on Farm Stay 1. 


by Grace
October 27

This Farm Stay has been so fun, and adventurous. Throughout all the days we have been on this Farm Stay, we have grown closer and closer. There seems to be hundreds of inside jokes, and fun stories to be told. 

My favorite thing that we have done so far is chopping wood, in the woods occupation. I felt like a lumberjack. It was great to be able to do some work, but have fun while doing it. Throughout the woods occupation, we have learned so much about wood, and how to carve it. We are starting our end of occupations projects, and it is going really well. So far no injuries! 

Micro Economy was a process, that we will always remember. It may have been long, but it was a lot of fun. We had some points that were stressful, but we always had some fun with it. Our products turned out great, and everyone is excited for the Spooktacular.

As a group we seem to gravitate towards reading. You can usually find most of us in the gathering room with our noses in books. Even though we read a lot we have some really fun times, that we will never forget.


by Kate
Farmstay 1
October 26


This morning most people were up by seven. Some of us enjoyed chocolate mug cupcakes for breakfast. It was raining when we woke up and it rained for the rest of the morning. We had science and many of us did our observations. I observed the clouds and the sky was completely covered by them. We had occupations and we discussed the different food groups. We made a delicious lunch of squash soup and caesar salad, along with some bread. We took a field trip in the afternoon to see the neighbors. The term neighbor has a different meaning out here then in the city. If people live 15 miles or less away they are considered neighbors. 

The man we visited was the inventor of the sky chair. We got to see many of his creations. He made his own shoes out of leather and felt, which we got to see. We got to sit in sky chairs throughout the trip and some of us really liked his cats. We saw some umbrellas that he had made and learned about wood. Many of us were cold but we got to warm up over a mini fire. 

When we got back we set to work on our projects for the Spooktacular. We are baking and crafting many different things such as dreamcatchers, soap, candles, as well as many pumpkin treats. We are also preparing for the fun activities and a pizza party featuring the pizza oven. Everyone has been getting very busy in preparation. 

Come to the Spooktacular, Saturday, October 29th from 4-8pm.


by Lily
Junior High visit
October 25

Today the rest of the Junior High came to visit us on Farm Stay. I was thoroughly excited, but a lot of people had mixed feelings. Everyone was excited to see their friends but we knew we would have to prepare for the awkwardness of interacting with a group 4 times larger in number than us. But still they came. They arrived before we walked over to the long barn, so we showed up to a mass of our friends walking towards us. To be honest it was quite overwhelming, but as we all got more comfortable, the fun started. After the teachers gave us a little time to reunite with our friends, we sat around the fire circle to hear our stewardship groups. Once we organized into groups, we started working. I was in the Garden and Greenhouse group. For part of the time we were working Lexi and I harvested and banded parsley, cilantro, and mint for the Land School market. After we were finished with that, we went into the small greenhouse to harvest some peppers, there were all kinds of peppers growing there: red rockets, jalapeños, highlanders, and a few more. It was pretty fun. Once we finished with the peppers I went into the long barn, where I only got to braid one garlic bunch, that was also pretty fun because I’m getting better at it with practice. After we finished working, and lunch, we got free-time, which was really fun. But soon it was time for our friends and teachers to leave us. We were a little sad but we knew we would see them again soon. We all turned out to enjoy the visit and reconnecting with our friends.


by Micah
October 25

far out in the field
their crestfallen stalks swung low
we harvest the kale

ten leaves in a bunch
stacked in the bin, a tall mound
they might overflow

sizzle and sauté
jumping out of the warm pan
the kale finds our plates

i left it for last
the rest of my plate is gone
cold, wet, kale is gross

by Naci
October 24

Farm Stay 1! The first 2 1/2-week long stay in the school year. When Farm Stay 1 rolls around, you know it's that time of year again--the Spooktacular!!! Sometimes spelled with a q (Spooqtaqular) and/or with a Bostonian accent (Spooqtaqulah), the Spooktacular is a fun-filled festival of Halloween!

Know this: many different things will be there. Cutting boards, walking sticks, pumpkin bread, even donuts, the Spooktacular will be one of the most diverse festivals in years! Many students are looking forward to it. Jonah, a student at Farm Stay, writes,

"I'm looking forward to seeing all of my hard work paying off and making a few bucks on the side."

Have fun browsing the length of merchandise here at the Land School as we celebrate Halloween in style! Decorations, a haunted hike and a pizza party will be sure to come. Merchandise will range between $0.50 and $40, and activities for children and families, like pumpkin carving, will be there. Take your pick of assorted baked goods as you walk along the haunted trail!

The Spooqtaqulah. For all your haunted festival needs!


by Maggie
October 23

The kids on farm stay 1 have had a great weekend. Today we woke up late for a delicious brunch, then had some free time. Some of us worked on our micro-economy projects, while others relaxed to spend a little time to themselves.

 We then packed up for expeditions in groups of two or three. Different groups had different fun. My group visited the pine forest and the ravine, eventually looping around to the climbing tree and sending some time at the bird-blind before finishing off with hanging out at the slackline we had set up. I’m told that some of the other groups hung out at the tree of life, pine forest, and the pond. We all came back with smiles on our faces and stories to tell. 

We came back in time for a little more free time and then a delicious dinner of chili and cornbread. Some people tested out recipes for their micro economy projects, and the rest were more than happy to test out some yummy cupcakes and pumpkin bread :). We had a lot of fun this past week, and are excited for the week to come. 



by Abbe
Gourd Crafts
October 22

Farmstay 1 just finished the first week. I would say one of our favorite parts was gourd craft. We had about ten gourds, so each person got one. We then washed the gourds until we got the dirt off. After that you could cut your gourd. Many of us cut them so they could be bowls. There were some forms of decoration. One was wood burning the bowls; another was painting. The bowls turned out beautifully. Of course, not all of us made bowls. One person decided to make a friend for a zucchini that we had adopted from the field (the zucchini had not been harvested and was really big). Overall, I think Farmstay 1 had fun during gourd crafts.  We all hope to see you at the Spooktacular next Saturday (we will be using the pizza oven). 


by Georgia
Day 4
October 20

Farmstay 1 has been off to a great start. Even though it has only been four days, we have still all bonded and formed many blossoming friendships. We have also gotten used to a normal day of school on the farm. For example: today.

After waking up this morning and getting ready, we all had one of these three tasks: either setting up breakfast, doing farm chores over at the Farmstead, or cleaning up breakfast. We rotate these tasks every week so everyone can help out in a different way. After breakfast, we had an hour of math, which is sometimes an hour of science. Then we had our morning meeting where we talked about the weather, what is going on in the world, and went through today’s schedule. To complete our meeting, we have morning pages, where the group reflects on a topic. Today it was Health and Happiness, and yesterday was Kindness. 

Then we break in half for Occupations. The occupations for this Farmstay are cooking and wood. In cooking we focus on how to cook, and what did or didn’t go well in a meal. We cook lunch sometimes, or reflect on how a meal went. In wood they have learned about wood and its grain, as well as chopping some wood today. 

We eat lunch after occupations, followed by lunch cleanup or quietude. Quietude is a silent time for everyone to kind of recharge and have some time to themself. On most days we have Micro-Eco after lunch, but today we had CE. CE, or Creative Expression, is a time to express yourself through art, whatever you consider art to be. Today we did gourd art, so we cleaned out the gourds, then cut them however we liked. There were options to either paint, sand, or wood burn the gourds.

After CE, we had PE, Physical Expression. Today we played capture the flag, in the woods between the homestead and farmstead. After PE, we came back inside and did our daily chores to keep the homestead clean and in good condition. We then had a little free time before dinner. Tonight we had DIY dinner, and many of us had pasta related items. Then we had more free time, followed by study hall. At 8:30 we had our evening meeting, where we tell one minute stories about ourselves, as well as talk about the day tomorrow. Then we get ready for bed, and have quiet talking. At 10:00 we turn off the lights and go to sleep, ready for the day tomorrow. 

Student projects: bowls created out of birdhouse gourds


Journal made by Max

Monday, October 3, 2016

October's Monday Melodies

by Laura 

Moving towards the winter
October 3, 2016 

This is a time of gathering.
The squash are carried in from their piles in the fields,
the carrots unearthed from their rows.
I heard today a white-throated sparrow, who last sang to me in the early days 
of spring. 
He who is always home is calling my home home for now. 
If for only today
I find relief in the drying of the leaves.
There is a time to ask what lives in the darkness
There is a time to become what the darkness holds.

This Week's Projected Harvest: 

Bok Choi
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts 
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Daikon Radish

Dill
Eggplant
Flowers
Garlic
Japanese Turnips
Kale

Kohlrabi
Mint
Onions

Parsley
Peppers: Red and Orange Bell, selection of hot peppers
Potatoes

Pumpkins
Radishes
Rutabaga

Winter Squash
Zucchini 


A Request for Perennials:

In an ongoing effort to transform the farmhouse yard into a haven of flowering shrubs, fruiting trees, and aromatic herbs, we are in search of perennials that could be divided and brought here to the Land School. Please contact the Land School staff if you have perennial flowers or herbs that could be divided! Autumn is a perfect time for transplanting. We can come to you to do the digging, or you can dig and bring us plants at the weekly produce market.

The Harvest Festival:
 
This year's Harvest Festival is this coming Sunday, October 9, 11am-3pm. Apples will be pressed, hay wagons will be ridden, songs will be sung, a feast will be shared, fun will be had! This is a great opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Land School and the company of many many Lake Country friends. 

Thursday Community Workday, October 6: 

This week's Land School market will be on Thursday, October 6, at the usual 4-6pm time. We will then resume to Tuesday markets for the remainder of the harvest season. If you would like to join us this week for a community workday, please consider coming to help with the weekly harvest, which this week will be on Thursday. As always, please be in touch if you have any question or would like to join us for the day: landschool@lakecountryschool.org. 715.265.4608. We would love to have you here!

Market Credits:

If you are interested in using the credit system at the Land School markets, please send a check (for an amount of your choosing) to the office (attention to Brooks) at the urban campus. The credit system is simply a way to facilitate your market experience by eliminating the need to remember cash. Every Lake Country family has the option of buying market credits, giving them a total sum from which to subtract as they shop at each week's produce market. 

Milkweed 9.30.2016

Sunrise 9.29.2016

Front yard asters 9.28.2016