product: determined

A little apprehensively, I decided what I really want to do for the rest of the project.

Building on the feelings of suppressed emotional drive to impact the larger community (which were egged on by the New Yorker article I talked about in the last post), I decided to take an initiative that has been rather constipated in the Environmental Committee, which was to start a small on-campus farm. Not necessarily with animals, but with a substantial garden that we could work to grow produce for the Ross Café. There has been a little garden on the south side of the Center for Well-Being for years, but it hasn't been in use for a while, so I thought that would be a pretty good spot (and you can SEE it from the café, which makes it even better). 

So I sent out a few e-mails proposing the idea, and I was met with positive responses from all corners (e.g. my mentor, the Café staff, the maintenance department).

Things I have to do this week:

1.   Look into zoning regulations about a greenhouse (and how I could work out funding for that/ whether that would be an Environmental Committee project or part of my senior project)

2.   Get the soil in the prospective area tested. (Ask Patty about that...)

3.   Meet with Liz Dobbs to learn about the initial designs for the small garden outside the Center for Well-Being (which has been defunct for some years now, and decide how to incorporate that into our design.)

4.   Contact Ross parents and farmers Scott Chaskey and Paul Hamilton (who have both professed interest in my project), and see if they are interested in being involved with this leg.

5.   Talk to Mr. Drossel: could student volunteers count hours spent working in the garden as community service?

6.   Talk to Sam Levin (my friend who started a farm at Monument Mountain Regional High School with his group, Project Sprout) about his experience/process...

7.   Continue with reading assignments, and print out e-mails for proc-folio.

CHICORY COFFEE (adapted from Euell Gibbons's Stalking the Wild Asparagus)

carefully uproot about 6 or 7 chicory plants (they break easily)

remove roots, scrub and soak them in warm water to remove dirt

roast them in a toaster oven for until crispy and browned, around 375 degrees

grind up with mortar and pestle

soak in boiling water with a french press (just like coffee grounds, but use greater water:grounds ratio, because chicory has a strong flavor)

add milk and sweeten to taste.

mmmm