The Worm Farm

Hey,it's Ben,
Last week I went to the Worm Farm, where we get our worms for our compost that we give to Farmer Jim. So we drove to Durham where it is, and when we got there we learned all about worms. After that we went outside and we saw a tractor with hundreds of pounds of worms. After that we learned that worm poo is actually very clean, he said we could actually eat it,I said it plain and simple,"Gross." After that, we climbed on a ten foot tall pile of worm poo, of course my sister thought it was just dirt, hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah. We found out what worm eggs look like and I even saw a tiny, tiny, tiny baby worm on a worm egg. We had snack and then we looked at worm soil. Then we left and got Mr.Pickles for lunch.

Worm Farm

Hey guys! Its Hannah

     The other day, we went on a field trip to none other than... the Durham Worm Farm! This is where we ordered our worms for composting a few months ago. It was really neat to see where our worms had been, how they were raised, and how they got from the dirt to our mailbox.
     The man who ran the farm taught me, my brother, and about twenty other homeschoolers and their parents all about the WORM. Basically, a worm eats dead, decaying matter and then it's castings (poop) become super nutrient rich soil for plants! The worm man even said the castings (poop) are so pure and clean that you could eat them...GROSS!!
     We bought more worms for our compost bin, and headed home to get hosed off because guess what? The giant dirt hill that everyone was playing on towards he end of our tour of the worm farm was really a giant pile of worm castings!! Eeeeuuuuu!

Japan

Hi guys, it's Hannah
Last week, everyone's hearts universally reached out toward the people of Japan. The aftermath of the 9.0 earthquake and tsunami that devastated millions will be remembered for years to come, but what isn't getting as much attention is the radiation coming from affected nuclear plants on the coast of Japan. The radiation will possibly change Japan's environment and poorly influence many Japanese people's health. Some Hawaiians, Californians, and even Alaskans who saw the effects of the disaster on a smaller scale, are worried about the radiation reaching them on the coast. President Obama assured us Americans that it's  nearly impossible, but still, it's scary to realize how every thing you do or that happens has the possibility of badly effecting other people too. Celebrities, disaster relief associations, and companies like the Red Cross are collecting donations to help the land and people of Japan. Please keep your thoughts and prayers on Japan.

Quake and Tsunami in Japan

Hayyyyooooooooo it's Ben,

The tsunami in Japan was caused by a 9.1 earthquake 200 miles from Tokyo in a rural village.  The earthquake made a crack 50 yards wide and 100 miles long on the surface of the earth.  The tsunami traveled across the Pacific Ocean and tipped boats and broke docks in Crescent City and Santa Cruz. It has devastated millions of people and homes. Nuclear plants in Japan are in critical condition. People in the world are devastated by this occurrance. People in Hawaii weren't that surprised because minutes after the quake most of the world knew of the tsunami. 

GE alfalfa

Some farms are using genetically engineered alfalfa to feed their cows. That means that all cow products will have GE stuff in it. Organic farms are really against this, GE stuff is really unhealthy for you. It's really like eating fake steak. I am really against GE alfalfa. When we buy the meat or milk, don't you think that we should know that the cow that made that meat or dairy ate GE alfalfa? What if the GE alfalfa made that cow sick and then you get sick because the cow that made the meat or the milk that you had eaten some laboratory fake alfalfa? My solution is that we ban GE alfalfa or we get labels that say that the cow that made this meat or milk ate GE alfalfa so the costumer has a choice in what meat or dairy they want.

Genetically Engineered?? Yummy....

Hey Everyone! It''s Hannah

Places like Whole Foods Market and Strauss Farms are educating me on the world of agriculture. It's definitely a topic I wouldn't CHOOSE to learn about, but what's going on right now is pretty important. - 

Lots of cows and other livestock that are being used for meat, milk, and other dairy products are starting to be fed genetically engineered alfalfa. That means that we are sort of eating fake food too. The problem I have with that, is that people are trying to get away with selling that meat or dairy without specially marking it, or letting us know at all that it's fake, or being fed GE crops. It's important that the citizens of the planet know exactly what they're eating. 

I think it would be okay if farmers wanted to feed their animals whatever kind of food they want, after all, it's their cows. But,  I want to know what the farmers are feeding them, so that I can stay away from GE foods. There are positive sides to this too, meat and dairy made from GE crops would probably be ALOT cheaper than naturally, wonderfully grown crops that are fed to animals. Many families who are struggling to buy food could afford meat and eggs. Which, would be GREAT! 

If you want to show your support or just research and learn more about this, go to blog.wholefoodsmarket.com

Change is Happening!

Hey Guys! It's Hannah.

I was so happy to see that on Christmas Eve (one my family's favorite holidays) lots of our friends and family brought reusable bags. Everything that usually is brought to my house in a grocery store's paper or plastic bags, was in cute (and eco-friendly) cloth bags. All of the bags sported logos of local schools, churches, or stores. It gave me a great sense of community and pride to see everyone supporting local businesses and the well being of our planet. This is a great start to a healthier planet! Here's to a new year of being green! Happy 2011!