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| After my boxing match with the miscanthus. |
We began the week with a boxing match between the Miscanthus and me. The week earlier, we had gone to the field to plant 10ft flag poles and download the latest data from the sensors. The Miscanthus, growth has made it difficult to access the sensors. Though the boxing match was challenging as shown by my hands, I made a pathway granting access to the sensors.
After the holiday, and for professional development, Dr. Stephanie Lansing, Professor Department of Environmental Science and Technology, University of Maryland College Park, Vice Co-Chair Maryland Food System Resilience Council spoke to us about transforming food waste into energy and fertilizer. As part of her teaching duties as a professor, Dr. Lansing also engages in research. A research currently ongoing is anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion is placing animal waste in a secure container and the bacteria from the waste producing biogas/methane gas which can be used to generate heat and the solid waste extracted and turn into fertilizer and or compost. Dr. Lansing help establish and lead NurishNet. This is a team which is focus on promoting circular biodiversity which is built on five pillar; climate change, land use, biodiversity, food loss and waste, and resource scarcity. By propagating this innovative way to generate and use energy, Cecil County has the largest anaerobic digestion lagoon that uses dairy cow manure and food waste within the state to produce energy and fertilizer.
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| The pathway grants easy access to the sensors in the miscanthus field |
On Thursday, I headed Bryan Racine farm in Cecil County to extract soil samples from two of his farm. Upon arrival, both farms seem to have had an early yield. The fields were not tilled but harvested the stalks and cobs were all over the field. The corn appears to have been six to ten weeks. It took longer than expected but I got the soil samples.
The last day of the week, began with a visit the doctor. Thinking I had an infection in my left arm from the last visit in the miscanthus field, turn out to be a tick in my arm living its best life. I got to work and the first stop was the blackberries. I laid down mulch on two more rows. I got to the office and Dr. Sater had purchase PVC pipes to mark the berries because the flags placed earlier most had worn out or been blown away due to nature. I cut the pipes two and half feet and tag them according to the berry type.
The last day of the week, began with a visit the doctor. Thinking I had an infection in my left arm from the last visit in the miscanthus field, turn out to be a tick in my arm living its best life. I got to work and the first stop was the blackberries. I laid down mulch on two more rows. I got to the office and Dr. Sater had purchase PVC pipes to mark the berries because the flags placed earlier most had worn out or been blown away due to nature. I cut the pipes two and half feet and tag them according to the berry type.
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| Mulch laydown to protect the berries from weeds |
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