1. Composting

2. In an effort to learn about soil composition, responsible use of resources and needs of the plants in a garden, our GREW Crew began a composting program.

3. We used only vegetable and fruit waste. Animal products would have become infested with bacteria causing odor and health concerns.

4. Odor is not a big problem with the plant waste but we soon had problems with flies drawn by the juice of watermelons. We found that the flies multiplied very quickly and became pests throughout the campus.

5. The first solution we tried was to cover the melons with dirt The melons were too large and rain quickly washed of the dirt.

6. The next solution was to remove melons and continue burying the fruit with dirt. There were fewer flies, but they were still enough to be a problem. When we used grass clippings as cover, the flies nearly disappeared

7. From out of the compost came pumpkins. Jack-o-lanterns from the Pre-K had left seeds behind.

8. The GREW Crew will continue studying the recycling of food waste as it turns to soil and hopes that they can learn and serve at the same time.