Summer School

Many of you know that the Hogan Homeschool goes year round. During the summer months we relax a bit and try to enjoy a lighter load and a fun unit study. This year we tackled the topic of sustainable agriculture. At the center of our study was the book "The Omnivore's Dilemma--Young Reader's edition" by Michael Pollan. I highly recommend this reading to everyone. It will open your eyes to a plethora of issues related to our food supply. Along with this 'textbook' we downloaded a curriculum from Equal Exchange. This four unit study addresses issues such as world hunger, fair trade, child slavery, our food supply, how our choices matter, and how one person can make a difference.

Our study wasn't limited to books and worksheets. We also took a hands-on approach and planted a garden. In early April, Hattie was given the task of deciding what to plant and where to plant it and Thomas was put in charge of deer-proofing. Unfortunately, shortly after planting the seeds Wausau received a week of rain. Many of the seeds rotted or washed away. It was very disappointing but taught a valuable lesson. When I asked the kids what they learned from this experience they answered, "Farming is hard work." It is my hope that they have gained an appreciation for the many farmers who diligently work to put food on our table.

The garden was not a total loss. We have four tomato plants doing well, two or three cucumber plants, a nice crop of sugar snap peas, some small peppers have started, and the squash and melons are going crazy! To help us learn more about gardening in our area we signed up for the "Family Gardening Series" offered by our local extension office. For just $10 we are invited to attend three 2 hour classes for the entire family. The kids create some kind of garden related craft while the adults do Q&A with master gardeners. We then come back together for snack time and finish up with a family craft. At the first class we planted a pizza pot--a big bucket filled with a tomato plant, onions, basil and oregano. Well worth the $10 for the series! At the second class we made a scarecrow. The third class is set for next Monday. We will be cooking up some of the fresh veggies from the extension office's garden. Mmmmm...

The kids are also active in a local 4-H club. This was our first full year of membership which meant that we could attend the big fair. All of the older kids had entries this year. Hattie entered the photography class. Thomas did a lead pencil drawing. Isabelle made a poster titled "Real Food vs. Junk Food". And Michael created a poster on backyard birds. Each one had to complete face-to-face judging which scared the pants off of them. But the judges are so nice that it was really a very good experience for all. Hattie ended up with two red ribbons. A few of her pictures were a bit out of focus. Thomas also received a red ribbon. He (mom) failed to use the required fixative on his drawing. (Yes, that was totally mom's fault!) Isabelle won a blue ribbon for her entry. Luckily the judge didn't ask about the milk picture on the junk food side. I thought we might get kicked out of the fair for that one. This is the Dairy State afterall! And Michael did a wonderful job with his backyard birds poster. The judge asked if he could immitate the northern cardinal and he whistled the metallic chip with pride! We have started calling him Dr. Doolittle as he can actually "talk" with the cardinals in the yard.

To culminate our study of sustainable agricultue we watched the documentary "Food Inc." Again, I highly recommend this film! At the end of the film Thomas said he was just astonished. He couldn't believe where our food came from. Later that week we were running late so I suggested that we stop by McDonald's for lunch. From the backseat, Isabelle protested by saying, "I'd rather eat worms!" I think we are winning the war for healthy eating here at the Hogan Homestead.

We still have a few more fieldtrips planned into September and October. We'll be touring the local dairy farm where we buy our raw unpateurized milk. We'll also be visiting a local organic farm with the 4-H and homeschool groups. And I am working on a trip to Willow Springs Garden where they help you make your own mozarella cheese, ice cream, and butter and whip up lunch for you using the ingredients you made.

Overall, I'd say that our summer school was a success. We learned alot, had fun, and even made some very important and necessary changes to the way we view our food.