SEEAG Volunteer Day: A Day of Tidying Up & Giving Back at Farm Lab

Event

Mar 21

SEEAG Team tidying up Farm Lab at Petty Ranch

This week SEEAG gathered at Farm Lab for a volunteer day filled with productivity, learning, and a sense of accomplishment. As always, the space at Farm Lab was buzzing with activity, but it was the kind of energy that made us feel connected to agriculture and to one another, all while making a positive impact on the space where we welcome thousands of third grade students annually for our Farm to Food Lab!

Here are some tasks that we completed throughout the day:

Building the Aerobic Compost Pile

The goal was to create a compost pile that would break down organic materials quickly and efficiently, while also promoting a healthy environment for the microbes that make decomposition possible. We began by gathering a mixture of browns and greens.The browns, are rich in carbon, while the greens, provide nitrogen. The combination of these materials is crucial to achieve a balanced compost pile that decomposes properly. Layer by layer, we built the pile, being careful to alternate between the browns and greens to ensure that the compost would have enough airflow and microbial activity.

Transforming the Garden Beds

Our goals here were: first, to clean up the space and make it more welcoming, and second, to make it easier for students and volunteers to engage with the garden in the future. We started by pulling weeds, which is essential for keeping the garden beds healthy. With the area cleared, we moved on to spreading mulch around the garden beds. Not only did the mulch help to tidy up the space, but it also acts as a protective barrier for the plants. Mulch helps retain moisture in the soil, prevents the growth of additional weeds, and keeps the soil temperature more stable. One of the highlights of this task was how it enhanced the safety of the garden space for students, especially in relation to the nettles that tend to grow around the edges.

Reflecting on the Day

As we wrapped up the day, taking in the results of our hard work, we couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride, because we completed important tasks that will benefit students and our environment. Whether we were working with soil, compost, or mulch, each task had a purpose that went beyond the immediate result—it was about creating a sustainable, welcoming space for future volunteers, students, and visitors. The beauty of Farm Lab is that it’s not just a space for growing plants; it’s also a place where people come together to learn, grow, and give back to the environment.

Join us at the next Volunteer Day!

We’re already looking forward to the next volunteer day, and we are ready to continue maintaining and caring for our land. Want to join in on the fun? We will be hosting volunteer days every third Thursday of the month. Fill out the form HERE and sign up to receive emails for future events. See you then!