Growing crops under direct instruction and the supervision of a farming instructor is one way to learn. Growing crops of your own choosing and planning on a plot of raw land is another.
In Farm School, we have group plots that we are assigned and have begun working. Our group has chosen to lean into watermelons and tomatoes. These are two infamously difficult crops to grow outside in Arkansas.
There are lots of pests and animals that attack large fruiting plants when they are grown outside, but that’s the game ain’t it. Fortunately, my group was in agreement when we said we are going to grow food that is hard to grow so we can fail on the school dime. I think there is learning in succeeding, but there seems to be a lot more learning in failing early. I’m not saying I want to learn to fail, but I can learn from failing more right now than from having everything go right.
I just did the calculations and, if everything goes as it is expected to, we will have melons and tomatoes for the first market date. That would be a big win, but I know it is a long way from this flat barren dirt patch to a harvest for market in July. Lots of decisions and learning are going to happen, and hopefully some good fruit harvesting too.
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