Field studies, garlic planting and tractor maintenance

Part 1:

Carlen's lessons on field study continued today.  We measured, calculated acreage and gathered soil samples from our individual fields.  Betsy, Sophia and I were up in the North Orange fields.

 Betsy posing in her field.

Sophia, out standing in her field!

Part 2: Planting Garlic

Garlic is planted in the fall for a summer harvest.  We collected the largest bulbs, broke them into the cloves and placed them in buckets.  We were planting "hard-neck garlic" and "soft-neck garlic" in 300 feet beds.

Brian is measuring the 8 inches between cloves.

Emily walks ahead, dropping the garlic while Andrew follows behind, digging in the cloves. 

 At the end of our awesome planting session in the North Orange field, we were invited to lie between the rows of garlic, offering it our blessing.   I almost fell asleep!  Planting garlic was fun and strenuous.

But our day wasn't over quite yet. We rode the tractor trailer back to the farm for our tractor maintenance lesson.

Part 3:  Tractor Maintenance.

Warren joined us at Maggie's to teach us how to change the oil and other fluids and filters, as well as the greasing process.

 Warren demonstrating the dip-stick.

Caitlin helping Kyoshi with the oil change.