New to the Culinary Arts program this spring are micro greens that can be used in anything from salads to soups, and sandwiches to garnishes, and have been growing fairly well under the new light racks. Some studies have shown that these early sprouts of plants such as spinach, pea, beet, chard, and even sunflower can have four to six times the nutrients of the mature plants, though it varies from plant to plant. NPR published an interesting article on them back in 2012.
With the warmer weather finally upon us Mrs. Priest has been bringing her third quarter Culinary Arts sixth graders out to the gardens to see what is happening and to pick up food for the worms. In these photos she is introducing the students to some of the plants that were over-wintered, such as carrots, herbs, and potatoes. Though very few are peeking up through the surface, soon there will be plenty.
As we posted earlier, the sixth graders are being responsible for a bin of composting worms that need daily feeding and care. This is a new endeavor for the Farm School so stay tuned for updates. Here are the kids taking care of their worms in the Culinary Arts room, which really has turned into more of a laboratory.
Though this salad did not come from the Farm School, it was really nice to get out there yesterday and have lunch while thinking about all the great things that are coming our way in the gardens.
Things should get going fairly quickly here at Middlebrook Farm School so be sure to stop by and see the progress in the next month or so, and if you want a tour just let us know.
