It was a cool and overcast May morning when we arrived at Maysie's Farm Conservation Center. Sam Cantrell, the owner of Maysie's, and his dogs kindly greeted us. Sam shared his vision and philosophy for his farm. It can be summed up into this simple idea, "Organic farmers work to
grow healthy soil." Healthy soil has millions of microrganisms that do the work to grow healthy vegetable plants, and these plants provides us with food that is nutritious. Our good health and energy is based on the availability of this kind of nutritious food.
You could say that Sam is passionate about eating real, wholesome food, and understanding the cost of the farming by other means. His farm is organic and sustainable, meaning that the farm produces enough revenue to keep it going. There are several solar panels on the farm that are tied into the electrical grid. The solar panels provide the farm with electricity and income that has already paid back a third of the cost of the solar panels.
The first step of the growing cycle that we partook in was to learn how to amend the soil. We took turns mixing the soil with compost and leaves. Then we wanted to make sure that the soil had plenty of air - not too dense. We pushed the soil through a grate to remove and sticks, rocks, and to break up any large chunk of soil.
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| Mixing in compost. |
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| Transferring the soil to the screens to sort through it for sticks and rocks. |
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| Using a screen to make the soil just the right size, and stick and rock free. |
We put our amended soil into seed containers and planted several varieties of lettuce. When this lettuce is ready to be harvested, it will be sold to the members of the Maysie's CSA, Kimberton Whole Foods, the Montgomery School, or Conestoga High School.
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| Carefully we planted one seed per container and then covered it an eighth of an inch deep. |
Then we snapped our fingers and
viola, it was a pretend four weeks later. We carried several flats of lettuce seedlings from the greenhouse and brought them to a prepared bed. These small lettuce plants were four weeks old and ready to be planted in the prepared beds. Sam taught us how to handle the fragile plants and how to securely plant them.
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| Watering our transplants. |
For the final stage of farming, we snapped out fingers again, and a second pretend four weeks passed. We walked to a larger building called the Hoop House, a large greenhouse that is used to grow vegetables during the colder months. It is missing the cover as it blew off a few weeks ago. We were also able to harvest carrots, turnips, and scallions.
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| Washing our produce before Sam made it into a salad for us. |
The last part of the day was spent eating our lunch at picnic tables in a lovely setting under a tree beside a small field. Sam made us a delicious salad from the vegetables we just washed and harvested. It was a very special salad. Some of the children found a soccer ball and played a game in the field. Some of us tried using a very basic compost portapotty. Many children told me that this was the best field trip ever. I think I agree!
Then we snapped our fingers and viola, it was a pretend four weeks later. We carried several flats of lettuce seedlings from the greenhouse and brought them to a prepared bed. These small lettuce plants were four weeks old and ready to be planted in the prepared beds. Sam taught us how to handle the fragile plants and how to securely plant them. 
For the final stage of farming, we snapped out fingers again, and a second pretend four weeks passed. We walked to a larger building called the Hoop House, a large greenhouse that is used to grow vegetables during the colder months. It is missing the cover as it blew off a few weeks ago. We were also able to harvest carrots, turnips, and scallions. 
The last part of the day was spent eating our lunch at picnic tables in a lovely setting under a tree beside a small field. Sam made us a delicious salad from the vegetables we just washed and harvested. It was a very special salad. Some of the children found a soccer ball and played a game in the field. Some of us tried using a very basic compost portapotty. Many children told me that this was the best field trip ever. I think I agree!
