Good evening, friends and family! Today was fowl day at MSU’s Tollgate Education Center. The birds happen to be some of my favorite pals on the farm, so I was very excited the peppers spent the day learning about my feathered friends.
The day started off bright and early with a pepper party. I threw in a couple “moos” to get the party started. There was no music at this pepper party, but there were eager discussions about what was in store for the peppers throughout the day. Mr. Alan and the counselors had a busy morning for the peppers that included one of my favorite activities: snack time. In the Garden Kitchen, Ms. Katie showed the peppers how to make Veggie Pinwheels. The pinwheels were made of flour tortillas with a mixture of chopped vegetables, sour cream, cream cheese and a dash of onion and garlic. The peppers wrapped the tortillas in such a way that they actually looked like pinwheels! I bet they were delicious because no one wanted to share with me!
Orange Peppers and their newspaper pots.
Next, the peppers spent time in their garden plots. I could see the peppers hard at work weeding their gardens and learning about the different plants that were growing. Ms. Courtney, Ms. Mandy, Ms. Jackie, and Mr.Alex showed the peppers how to construct pots for plants out of newspaper. They are so resourceful! The peppers then prepped them for planting by putting soil in them. The newspaper pots were actually strong enough to hold the soil. I can’t wait to see what plants the peppers decide to plant later in the week. I wonder if they’ll let me eat them when they grow…
A Red Pepper showing off his newspaper pot.
Look how well a Red Pepper’s newspaper pot stands next to a real pot!
The most exciting part of the morning was hanging out with the fowl near the coop. Or “chicken time” as Mr. Alan likes to call it. The peppers were introduced to Henrietta the Hen, Steve the Rooster, Lucia the Goose, and Alfrid the Turkey. The peppers learned about the life cycle of a chicken and Mr. Alan even let the peppers hold and touch their new friends! I know the fowl in the coop were excited to meet the peppers, and I’m glad they all got along so well.
Mr. Alan explaining the feathers of a hen to some Yellow Peppers.
Green Peppers petting the hen.
Petting the rooster.
After lunch, the activities were just as busy and fun! I could see the peppers hard at work from my pen, but I wasn’t sure what they were up to. Then, they came to the children’s garden and the dirt mound with their very own egg nest creations! They were all so unique. Some peppers put grass in bowls to make nests and tied them down with twigs. Others made all natural nests out of grass and mud. They used live grass to tie their nests shut tight. They’re all so smart! The peppers then put eggs in their nests and dropped them from the sky. Some of the eggs didn’t make it and there was yolk everywhere! The peppers thought it was so funny that I couldn’t help laughing myself. Other eggs made it safely down in the nests built by the peppers. Regardless of whether or not the peppers’ eggs had a successful flight, everyone had a great time.
The Red Peppers and their nests!
Some Orange Peppers building their nests.
An Orange Pepper launching his nest.
In the Garden Kitchen, Ms. Katie showed my friends how to whip up another delicious snack! Peppers made a creamy fruit salad using fruit like cantaloupe, blueberries, strawberries, and bananas. The fruit salad was creamy because it was made with homemade whipping cream, yum!
Red Peppers slicing fruit.
Next, it was time for some games! The peppers played a game called “Predator and Prey.” One pepper taught us a nice rhyme about the difference in eyes between predators and prey. “Eyes in front to hunt. Eyes on side to hide.” The peppers were then assigned different roles to learn about the food chain. Some of them were grasshoppers, some were frogs, some were hawks, and one was a human. The human was at the top of the food chain and was able to eat anything it wanted. The hawks feasted on frogs, the frogs feasted on grasshoppers, and the grasshoppers searched for food in the grass. I’m sure all my pepper friends are now experts on the food chain.
The predator catching the prey.
The frogs chasing the grasshoppers.
To wrap up the day, the peppers went for a hike in the woods. Ms. Courtney, Ms. Mandy, Ms. Jackie, and Mr.Alex taught my friends how to identify poison ivy and the difference between producers, consumers, and decomposers.
After an exhausting day, I mooed goodbye to my friends and reflected on how much fun we had. Maybe I’ll visit the coop tonight to share stories and wonder about tomorrow’s adventures.
Until then,
Clifford the Calf
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