Houston, we have lift off...

... Yes, we have lift off! And a problem.

In my previous post about my fair test on rocket I was fairly disappointed with its rate of growth. Things have certainly changed within one week! Though the results are a confronting for a few reasons.

The mainstream is almost three times as big as the organic. The control is doing fairly well considering all I give it is water. Sadly, the organic is looking quite small and undeveloped.

It has really made me think about the demands we make upon the earth. Perhaps rocket should be growing at the pace and rate of the organic plant? I don't have an agriculture background so I am oblivious to what should be happening. This process has made me realise just how uneducated I am about how my food is grown, but it's also challenged me to find out more.

Also, while I've always known that the appearance and size of produce is not a measure of its nutritional value or natural health, the fact that organic can look quite underwhelming for what you are paying really hit home.. I believe that is one of the key reasons mainstream farming methods are preferred over organic and continue to be supported by the majority of food buyers.

I can really see how this would be a valuable inquiry experience for my future students - they will be the ones who will determine the future of food sustainability. Surely, education is one of the most powerful keys to finding a solution to this problem.

Organic vs Non-organic

I'm struggling a bit with the results of my fair test so far. I was really expecting that the organic lettuce would do just as well, if not better, than the non-organic one. But the one I have been feeding the chemical fertiliser is doing twice as well as the other two.

It looks healthier, greener, bigger and more appealing. If I was just going on looks to suggest which method of gardening was better - I'd have to go with the non-organic one. But that just doesn't feel right to me. The lettuce may look fantastic, but the fertiliser I've been putting on it to help it get there is not quite so appealing. It's bright blue! It looks like something you would find in the bottom of a plastic fish tank.   I can't imagine eating something that colour, but it's things like that that go into the food that I eat.

I have gone through stages of trying to eat only organic because I have read that it's better for me and I don't like the idea of putting chemicals in my body. But until I started this experiment, I didn't fully understand how the use of chemicals could actually make things that may not be good for you, look so good. It's amazing  how doing something yourself helps you to understand a concept.

That's why doing Inquiry-based activities are so good for kids' learning, I guess!

Sustainability choice creeps up on me

Today marks Day 15 of our Fair Test where we've each been growing a plant of choice (Jess is growing lettuce, Shirin is growing rocket and I'm growing peas) and testing which fertiliser (organic vs. non-organic) grows the best produce.

Today I went down to my garden bed and discovered something fabulous! I was so excited, I had to grab the camera to capture what I think represents 'nature as art'. The vines on my peas have started to wrap around their stands! This happened over night and I'm so excited by it. My plants are growing and doing what they need to survive by reaching out to something and holding on so tightly. So beautiful!

I couldn't help but take photos of the vines to share on our blog.

And then as I was focusing on the vines, I noticed the beautiful patterns than were emerging on the bigger leaves of the plant.

Exposure to readings for our Art class has really opened my eyes to creativity all around me - even in nature. And yes, I took some close up photos of the leaves as well ...

Look at the detail, isn't it amazing?! Literally splashes of colour.

And then you know what else happened? Well I couldn't stop taking photos there, I ended up walking around the garden and taking photos of everything I could find that interested me or that had depth of colour or line that I'd never really paid much attention to before.

In our back garden we have some mango trees and some garden boxes that we're growing a whole host of veges in. While in our front garden we've got rose beds and lavender bushes lining our verandah and side fence. When I was taking photos of the lavender it got me wondering how I can use the lavender in our home. A little side research project for me to look into because we do buy lavender products and how great would it be if I could use what we're growing in our garden instead? Adding my little contribution to making sustainable and environmental choices.

And there you have it - a personal connection to art, nature and making sustainable choices as a result of a fair test experiment. Who would have guessed? :)

We have been planting!

We are conducting a fair test to check the difference between organic and non-organic methods of growing food. For more info check out our Seedlings to Salad page.

Here are just a few photos of Jess planting lettuce with a little help from a furry friend.