Eric's Garden

Pictures

Intern Profile

I want to work at the garden because: because i wanted to go out and actually get a job then i wasn't stuck in the house the whole summer, and its good to get some dirt on your hands :D

Two of my personal goals for working at the Dallas Youth Garden this summer are: To help somebody out and to have fun at least.

Two things I hope to learn for working at the Dallas Youth Garden are: 1: Maintaining a garden. 2: Something new that I didn't know.

I think my biggest challenge will be: Most likely keeping everything in touch.

My favorite vegetable or fruit is: lettuce

I think a leader is: Someone who isn't afraid to speak their ideas about a situation and take action on it.

I hope to contribute this leadership skill to the garden this season: Motivation

Garden Plan:

Rows of vegetables planted: 12

Number of different kinds of vegetables planted: 12

Optimal Garden Yield:

My garden did or did/not match my plan and why: it did match as when filling out the plans i tried to make sure it wouldn't have any errors or problems

Garden Log:

May 3-5: Started work and removed tarps

May 8-12: Worked on plans helped at master gardeners plan sale

May 15-19: began planting

May 22-26: continued plantings with watering

May 29-June 2: still planting, became somewhat slow but still making progress

June 5-June 9: finished planting, focusing on things such as our paths, weeding, watering, and getting pesky bugs off our zucchini's

June 12 - June 16: finished paths, placed paper and straw around zucchini's, and continued weeding.

June 19 - June 23: continued normal garden tasks of water and weeding, we went and took a visit at the pollination festival and got some great information

June 26 - June 30: 26th was a last day for me before i went on a family camp out.

July 3 - July 7: began on leadership project of fertilization along with regular water & weeding

July 9 - July 14: finished placing fertilizer for leadership project, waiting for results and so far i am getting little but amazing results.

July 17 - July 21: got amazing growth on my kale from the experiment, finished up molting the garden row's and had open house on the 19nth.

July 24- July 28: was gone most this week, bugs are annoying and eating off my successful broccoli and kale, yet haven't touched anything else

July 30 - August 4: watering mostly, planning and talk about the country fair of our times, plants we will showcase, and what we will be selling at the fair

August 6 - August 11: prepared ourselves for showcasing our pick of vegetables

August 13 - August 18: got 1 blue ribbon, 2 red ribbons, 1 white ribbon and my tomatoes made state.

August 21 - August 25: regular weeding and watering. been having a decreased productions and yeild with most plants, also harvested dill

August 26 - September 1: watering, preparing for a final leadership project along with donations i have yet to get

September 4 - September 8: approaching final stages of the job. cleared out the broccoli as it wouldn't grow during this time, so they were pulled and we got our ribbons from state! :D

September 11 - September 15: raining more often which meant less watering for us, other than that most harvest's of tomatoes, zuchinni's, squashes, and peppers (if ready), had a nice grill out with

burgers, chips, some home made foods like my kale soup, and other types, we made salsa with our own grown plants. really fun! :D

September 18 - September 22: most casual, have been having the rains more often which is great! we are getting oregon weather and i missed it a lot, nothing too special other than harvesting the usual

Leadership Project: fertilization experiment

Problem: garden improvement

Solution: pour fertilizers such as fish fertilizer, blood meal and bone meal on half of the garden

Test/Activity: results from plants will determine if the experiment works how i predicted or not

Results: So far the Kale has had the best results out of the rest of the garden, other plants have slightly noticeable effects, but so far it is working :D

Communication: having Dean A. know about my results of this activity.

Leadership Skills: Responsibility

Leadership Project: communications/feedback paper

Problem: i want to make DYG more widely known

Solution: i am going to write a paper up on info about us and what we could possibly do to make ourselves more openly known

Test/Activity: type the paper, send through our facebook and possibly other platforms of social media to spread the word of us

Results: click here for the page

Communication:

Leadership skills: communication / feedback

Leadership Project: Zuchinni Chocolate Chip Muffins

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups (210 g) all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Better Batter)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt(sea salt works too)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup (4 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips (use dairy free chips to keep the recipe dairy free, if necessary)

1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar

2 1/8 cups (215 g) grated zucchini

2 eggs (100 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature

1/4 cup (56 g) neutral oil (like grapeseed, canola or vegetable oil)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

rest of the recipe is here < - - - :D

Results: most of everyone tried them out and said they tasted good :D

Communication: talked with my parents for help, let everyone know they were gluten free buty not dairy free which sucked for some. . . :(

Leadership skills: communication/creativity

Leadership Project: Kale Soup

Recipe:

2lbs italian sausage

1 cup yellow onion

8 cloves garlic (minnced)

2-32oz chicken stock

6 cups russet potatoes

1/2 tsp ground pepper

6 or 4 cups kale, washed and cut to bite sized

3 cups heavy whipping creme

parmesan cheese grated (optional)

prep/instructions:

1: clean kale, destem, cut to bitesize, mince garlic + chop onions

2: brown sxausage, half way, thru add onion, then last few minutes add onion, then last few mins, add garlic when done, drain grease,

3: put sausage mix in pot, then add potatoes + broth, cover to simmer till potatoes tender/ become soft enough to desire

4: add cream, stir then add kale + pepper let simmer, until kale is desired tenderness

5: (optional) add parmesan cheese pepper + salt to taste