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| Josh P. demonstrated the "pinch method" for castration |
This morning we learned about castrating and docking the tails of our lamb flock. Farmers typically castrate the ram lambs so they will not grow up aggressive. The reason for docking the tails is to prevent a dung build up on the lamb's bottom, behind his or her tail. Josh showed us the "elasticator" a tool that stretches a very tight rubber-band over the lamb's tail or the ram lamb's testicles in order to stop the blood flow into that part of the body. Eventually the body part falls off. The other method for castration is to clamp a tool that looks like a wire snip over the tubes leading to the ram lamb's testicles. This tool is left on for one minute and then removed.
Group A spent the rest of the morning in the greenhouse learning how to "prick out" the tomato seedlings and give each a larger cell of soil. Tomato seedlings germinate best when they are in very warm soil and are close to other seeds. We line-seeded these particular tomatoes on March 28. Today, we gently separated them (by picking up chunk and dropping them on the table!) and placed them into new, larger cells. By the time we had planted 24 trays, the transplants all looked drooping and sad. Watering is supposed to perk them up, as well as living under the tables for a little while.
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| Justin, finishing up a tray |
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| Stephen and Sophia "prick out" tomatoes |
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| Caitlin, mid-tray |
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| Emily and Caitlin digging the trench |
In the afternoon, group A dug out the trench and planted half of the asparagus plants.
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