Woo! Day 2 of Animal Camp was a huge success!
We began the day with a flag ceremony. Ask your camper to recite the 4-H Pledge if they can remember it!
We took care of the farm animals again today. The Yellow Peppers fed the baby goats, cattle and rabbit. The Green Peppers milked Isabella, the Red Peppers took care of the ducks and goose, and the Orange Peppers took care of the chickens.
Yellow Peppers feeding the goat kids.
The goat kids are always hungry!
The Orange Peppers taking care of the chickens.
We made Minestrone Soup with Ms. Pam in Garden Kitchen this morning. Many of the campers loved the smell and taste!
Green Peppers taste their Minestrone Soup.
The Minestrone gets the Green Peppers’ stamp of approval!
We spent time near the garden building bird nests. A nest is a crucial part of a bird’s life as it protects eggs and young birds from predators and the elements. Birds build many different types of nest depending on their habitat and the breed of bird. We used only natural materials to build our nests because that’s what a bird in the wild would use. Ask your camper what kind of nest they made and what materials they used!
Orange Peppers using various materials to build their nests.
Two Orange Peppers use mud and clay for their nest.
Two Orange Peppers build a nest with straw and sand.
More mud nests.
Such concentration!
A Red Pepper shows her finished nest.
Another finished nest.
We talked about sheep and wool this morning as well. We took dirty wool and washed it so that we could rinse out most of the lanolin, which keeps the wool from soaking up water and keeps the sheep warm and dry. Then we carded, spun, and dyed the wool. We tied the wool into bracelets, and they turned out beautifully! Ask your camper about the process for making their wool bracelet!
Red Peppers talk about sheep and their wool.
Red Peppers wash their wool pieces before carding.
A Green Pepper squeezes very hard to get all of the water and soap out of his wool.
Each camper receives a T-shirt as part of their camp costs, and we tie-dyed our shirts this afternoon. The finished shirts will be sent home with campers on Thursday so that they can wear it to camp on Friday!
Orange Peppers tie-dye their shirts.
Ms. Pam made Broccoli Soup with the campers, and they were involved in every step of the process. It looked delicious! The recipe can be found at the end of this post.
Yellow Peppers chop broccoli for their soup.
One of the most important things that farmers need t do when they are raising livestock is to keep track of their animals. There are several methods that farmers use to identify their animals: ear tags, tattoos, branding, collars, paint, etc. Today, we did an activity to simulate the chaos and confusion that can occur when individuals are not identified. Each camper took an apple and drew a picture of it. Then we returned the apples and had to pick ours out of a crowd. This step was fairly easy, as is identifying animals when there are only a few or they stay on one farm. Next, we traded drawings and had to match each apple to the correct drawing. This became very difficult because different identifying factors (such as a shape or color) have different meanings for different people. To avoid the same confusion when it comes to livestock, farmers use universal identifying methods to keep track of their animals.
Orange Peppers try to sort out their mixed up apples!
We continued to work on our STEM Creature Creations project. We focused on habitats and body coverings (fur, feathers, etc.) today, and campers read about existing animals to find inspiration for their own creature. We can’t wait to see what they ultimately come up with! Ask your camper what kind of features their creature has so far!
An Orange Pepper works with PlayDough to create his creature.
Red Peppers sketch their creatures in preparation for sculpting later this week.
Red Peppers draw inspiration from various existing animals to create their fantastical creature.
We’re thrilled with the great attitudes and cooperation that our campers are exhibiting, and we can’t wait for Day 3! We have many more animals to learn about this week!
Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 carrot (cut small so as to shorten cooking time)
1 small onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
32 ounces vegetable broth
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning or own blend
1 chopped chunky small zucchini
1 chopped chunky small yellow squash
1 can cannellini beans
1 28 ounce can tomatoes
1/3 cup cooked ditalini pasta
2 cups Swiss chard
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. lemon juice
Directions
- Heat oil over medium heat. Sauté carrot, onion and garlic until carrots are soft about five minutes
- In a saucepan add broth and sauted vegetables, tomatoes and beans. Bring to slow boil; add zucchini and squash and Swiss Chard.
- Cook for 5 to 7 minutes more and then add pasta and lemon juice.
Broccoli Soup
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cream
Directions
- Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes.
- Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color. Add stock and bring to boil.
- Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in cream.
- With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and then replace the lid back on the pot.