Day 2 of Dirt Camp was very dirty! We had more beautiful weather and started really digging into our soil-themed activities.
We took care of the farm animals again this morning. The Green Peppers milked Isabella, the Yellow Peppers fed the cattle, rabbit, and baby goats, the Orange Peppers gathered eggs, and the Red Peppers took care of the ducks and goose.
Green Peppers learn how to milk Isabella with Ms. Mandy.
A Green Pepper milks Isabella.
Yellow Peppers feed the goat kids.
We made pickles during Garden Kitchen! Each pepper group made one jar of cucumbers and a collective jar of pickled green beans (or dilly beans). Ms. Pam usually lets her pickles sit for three weeks before eating them, but since we only have three days left of Dirt Camp, we’ll get to try them on Friday. They’re sitting out on the counter so the campers can observe how the color of the cucumber changes over time. The pickle recipe can be found at the end of this post.
Yellow Peppers working on their pickling cucumbers.
We tie-dyed T-shirts and played games while we waited. The shirts will be rinsed and campers will be able to take them home on Thursday. We encourage everyone to wear their tie-dye on Friday and show off their awesome colors!
Orange Peppers tie-dying their camp T-shirts.
Orange Pepper dying her shirt.
A Green Pepper dunks his shirt in dye!
We took our soil samples from yesterday and added water to them. Then we shook them up and let the particles settle. We saw that the different sizes drifted to different depths in the water; the pebbles and rocks sank to the bottom while the leaf pieces floated to the top. This stratification was pretty cool to watch, and campers got to see it in action.
We took more soil samples and used a sifting pan to break up the chunks. We talked about how sifting the soil leaves more air pockets between the particles and makes it feel light and fluffy compared to unsifted samples.
Ms. Nicole helps an Orange Pepper sift her soil sample.
Orange Peppers sift their samples.
Orange Peppers label their sifted soil samples.
We made a delicious Spinach Parmesan Dip in Garden Kitchen this afternoon. The smell of garlic took over the Activity Center and smelled lovely! Campers got to eat their dip with pita bread. YUM!
The Spinach-Parmesan Dip gets a thumbs-up from the Green Peppers!
We took a hike around the farm and tested the soil pH in a few different locations. It’s important to know the pH of the soil in order to plant flowers or vegetables that prefer a certain pH. Most plants thrive in a pH of 6 or 7, which is pretty neutral (not too acidic, and not too basic/alkaline). There are a few different methods for testing pH. We tried adding water to our soil sample and using a pH strip, which changes color to indicate the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Another testing method is to use baking soda and vinegar to see which makes the soil and water fizz. Ask your camper whether they found alkaline or acidic soil!
Green Peppers using a pH strip to test their soil sample.
We did an experiment to test the hydrology of various soil samples. Hydrology is the study of water as it relates to land and soil. We took a liter pop bottle, a coffee filter, and a soil sample to build our model. We poured water through the sample and filter and timed how long it took to make its way all the way through. We found that water moves fastest through sand and slowest through clay.
Red Peppers observing their hydrology test.
We continued working on our Mud Castles and STEM project. We saw some vertical growth on the mud structures today, and can’t wait to see what the campers add in the next few days!
Orange Peppers strategize their approach to their mud castle.
That’s a wrap on the activities for today. Feel free to leave us a comment and/or share this post with you social media friends to spread the magic that is summer camp at Tollgate!
Pickles with Cucumbers or Green Beans
Ingredients
1 Quart size jar with new lid and rim
5 or six small cucumbers
3 cloves of garlic
Two heads of dill (flower part)
2 Tbs pepper corns
1 cup water
1 cup vinegar
1 ½ Tbs. pickling salt
Grape leaves
Directions
- Wash and sterilize the jars and lids.
- Peel and smash the garlic.
- Wash and cut the cucumbers the way you want them, chunks, quarters, slices, whole.
- Place two grape leaves and dill heads in each jar.
- Fill jar within one inch of the top of the jar with the cucumbers and garlic.
- In sauce pan bring to boil water, vinegar and seasonings.
- Pour over cucumbers in the jar within ½ inch of top.
- Replace top. Cool and store in refrigerator. Will keep for several weeks. The longer it sits the better they are.
Spinach-Parmesan Dip
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 – 9 ounce package fresh spinach
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup basil leaves
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup plain yogurt
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
- Heat olive oil over medium high heat, and saute garlic for 1 minute
- Add spinach and salt and saute for two minutes or until it wilts.
- Place spinach in a colander and press until barely moist.
- Place spinach and basil and cream cheese in food processor and process until smooth.
- Spoon into medium bowl and add yogurt and parmesan cheese.
- Serve with pita chips or veggies.