OUTDOOR CLASSROOM 2024 FOR AVON AND BON HOMME STUDENTS
By
Mary Walkes
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What really happens in the soil when it is tilled or overgrazed? Jennifer Fischer demonstrated to the students of Avon and Bon Homme as well as neighbors and friends the power of symbiotic relationships and the consequences in the amazing life underground. The interactive exercise included Jasmine Ruelas Hertz portrayed a Big Bluestem plant as she shared sugar (candy) with other "plants"[students] as they offered her nutrients in exchange for the candy. The importance of diversity was emphasized as each of the different "plants" [students] provided more succulent nutrients to Jasmine. As Jasmine was encircled with willing diverse plants [students], mycorrhizal fungi, depicted with yarn, crisscrossed the neighborhood sharing nutrients with all the plants [students]. Then along came Declan Miner, depicting tillage equipment, and shattered the beneficial bacterial and fungal mutually beneficial neighborhood connections! Students could experience the medicinal value of forbs, such as echinacea, which can ease the pressure of tightened braces by pressing the root of the plant against their gums, according to Shane Deranleau. Chickens dismantled patties of manure as they found bugs and fly larva that provide protein for them and fly control for the other livestock. The rainfall simulation demonstrated clearly that the tilled soil refused to allow water to penetrate it. After several minutes of intense "rain" the soil one to two inches deep was powdery dry. The Slake test showed the power of glomulin’s ability to hold the soil together when submerged in water. If the soil can hold together when it is submerged in water, it can resist erosion during hard rain events. In follow up questions to the students, some indicated that the rainfall simulator had the greatest impact because it "showed the difference between tillage and no tillage farming according to Kallie. Jasmine preferred the slake test because it was "easy to see how the different types of soil are better than others that crumbled in the jar. Cale noted that regenerative farming "helps the environment, protects the topsoil, and keeps chemicals out of the water." It was a delightful, summery day where popcorn and watermelon was enjoyed by all.