4-H Green Science Adventure Camp: Week 3, Day 3

Good evening, friends and family! Today was Clifford day down on the farm! Well, it was really ruminant animal day, which means the peppers spent time with the ruminant animals on the farm, like me. Ruminant animals have a stomach that is very different from my pepper friends. We don’t have to completely chew all our food because instead of one compartment to the stomach, we have four. We are known as ruminant animals because of our first compartment to the stomach, the rumen. The rumen stores food that we snack on later to break it down further. You’ll hear more about that later, but for now let’s start from the beginning.

Hello everyone, I’m Clifford, the big red calf.

Every morning one pepper group gets the chance to feed the birds in the coop. Today was the Orange Peppers’ turn! They checked the coop to see if the hens had left any presents for them: eggs. There was one egg for the peppers to retrieve! After the birds were fed, Mr. Alex, Ms. Jackie, Ms. Mandy, and Ms. Courtney taught the peppers how to cast a fishing line while Nicholas taught the peppers how to tie different knots. These traits will be put to use tomorrow during Fishy Thursday!

Did the hens provide us with any more eggs Orange Peppers?

To further prepare for the fishing trip, the peppers went on a worm hunt in the garden. They learned that the worms were hiding deep below the surface. To get to the worms, the peppers had to pull all the weeds out of the way and dig with their shovels! It was a dirty process but the fish will be grateful for the worms.

Tomorrow is fishing day so the peppers need plenty of worms to catch fish! The Green and Yellow Peppers were hard at work in the garden searching for worms.

Finally the time had come for the peppers to learn all about me and the other ruminant animals on the farm. Mr. Alan explained to my new friends that I was a calf and that when I grow up I will be called a steer. He also explained to the peppers three ways to identify that I’m an herbivore. The first way is the placement of my eyes: eyes on side to hide. The second is my cloven hoof, a hoof split into two toes. Animals with cloven hooves have no sharp, canine teeth. Mr. Alan demonstrated by showing off my huge chompers. The peppers gasped to find that I have no teeth on top, which is how they can identify me as an herbivore.

It was very nice to meet you Red Peppers!

I was a bit tired after a morning visiting the peppers, so Mr. Alan took over and taught the peppers all about my insides. As I mentioned before, I have four compartments to the stomach: the rumen, recticulum, omasum, and abomasum. The first compartment, the rumen, can hold up to 42.5 gallons of food! The peppers discovered how much this was by filling a trough with 42.5 gallons of water. Past the stomach are my intestines, which are over 130 ft long when stretched out. No wonder I’m so big! The peppers played jump rope with the rope representing the length of my intestines to hype themselves up for a delicious snack!

The Green and Yellow Peppers showing off their jumping skills after the intestines jump rope.

To end the morning, the peppers spent some time with Ms. Katie in the Garden Kitchen. Ms. Katie helped the peppers prepare homemade bread for the afternoon and Yogurt Granola Parfait for the morning snack. It smelled so yummy! I sure do envy all the delicious food they make and eat!

Red Peppers being silly while making Granola Yogurt Parfait.

In the afternoon, the peppers met with my sheep friends and learned about their wool. Mr. Alan taught the peppers that a sheep’s wool contains lanolin which is an oil that helps keep them from getting really wet when it rains. He also helped them identify the breed of sheep on the farm that is used for its wool, the Columbia breed. The peppers had a chance to meet with a ewe, a mother sheep, and feel her soft wool. They also received a piece of raw wool to clean with soap because soap breaks down the lanolin. After washing their wool, Mr. Alan and the counselors helped the peppers card the wool to straighten it and separate the wool fibers for an activity tomorrow.

Peppers had to pull really hard to card their wool.

After meeting the sheep, the peppers played with some Oobelck, an interesting substance that acts like liquid when you touch it, but is like a solid when you pick it up. It’s so weird and gooey looking! The counselors discussed the states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) with the peppers and helped them identify the state of the Oobelck. I could hear the fascination from the little peppers and all the fun they had with the substance.

Ms. Courtney assisting the Green and Yellow peppers with the Oobleck.

In the Garden Kitchen, the peppers made ricotta cheese to spread on their bread along with the butter and jam they made earlier in the week. I think they must have really enjoyed the bread because the only sounds in the kitchen were the peppers munching on their snack!

Ms. Katie pouring the curds and whey into the cheese cloth.

To end the day, each pepper group spent some quality time together brainstorming skits for Friday and exploring the property.

The Red and Orange Peppers exploring the property. They discovered “quick sand” in the Maple Forest!

It was a really great day here at MSU Tollgate Farm, but all the excitement has made me very tired. I’m off to get my beauty sleep so I’ll be well rested for another fun-filled day tomorrow. In the meantime, check out the photos below and like us on Facebook, here

Goodnight my peppers, friends, and family!

Until tomorrow,

Clifford the Calf