AG IN THE CLASSROOM 



Laurie Bryan 



^^ Mew Hampshire has become more suburban 

 ^^ I than many people in the green industry re- 

 ^^^ ■ alize and a surprisingly large number of 

 ^^k I children have little contact with the fields 

 ■ ^kM and woods and greenhouses in which the 

 m ^^ state's agricultural production is based. New 



Hampshire Agriculture in the Classroom |NHAITC| is an 

 organization dedicated to showing school children just 

 what New Hampshire agriculture is all about 



NHAITC is part of a national effort to develop an un- 

 derstanding and appreciation of agriculture by elemen- 

 tary school students. We provide classroom materials, a 

 quarterly newsletter, and training workshops to help 

 teachers find new ways to explore the production of 

 food and fiber with their students. The curriculum mate- 

 rials are designed to show the students the diversity 

 and changes in New Hampshire's agricultural community 

 and how this community affects their daily lives. 



Although NHAITC is part of a national program, we re- 

 ceive no funding from the national organization. We're 

 an independent non-profit organization funded by dona- 

 tions from our Supporting Members — farmers, agricul- 

 tural organizations, commodity groups 



Our materials are on loan to any teacher in New 

 Hampshire at no charge Teachers who attend workshops 

 or borrow materials become Educator Members 



Past workshop topics have included "Growing Seeds 

 and Plants in the Classroom" and "Bees and Pollination " 

 Workshops are often held at farms so teachers can see 

 what actually goes on there rather than hear about it 

 second-hand in a classroom setting Teachers attending 

 receive technical information, hands-on experience, and 

 resource material they can take back to the classroom. 



NHAITC has a variety of resource materials related to 

 plant production. These include a set of posters put out 

 by the National Gardening Association (showing seed 

 growth and development, how different plant parts work, 

 and how to plant a salad garden!, books describing nu- 

 merous plant-related activities suitable for the class- 

 room, a packet which explores bees and pollination, and 

 a video illustrating gardening projects and experiments. 



Last year, 175 teachers participated in our workshops 

 and our materials went to over 10,000 elementary school 

 students This year we plan to conduct ten workshops 

 around the state on such topics as maple sugaring, fruit 

 and diary production, sheep and wool, Christmas trees, 

 soils and plants, and bees and pollination. We will also 

 be reviewing and reorganizing our units on these topics. 

 We have yet to develop a unit on greenhouse/nursery 



August & September 1Q95 



production, but we're constantly working on expanding 

 our topics and resources and now, with a member of the 

 NHPGA Board on our Board, this may be the year to de- 

 velop materials that would introduce students to one of 

 the fastest growing segments of New Hampshire's di- 

 verse agricultural scene. 



(If ijou have ideas you want to share with NHAITC or would like 

 to become a Supporting Member or receive a Resource Guide, 

 please contact Laurie Bryan, NHAITC Coordinator, 295 Sheep 

 Davis Road, Concord, NH 03301. Her phone number is 603-224- 



1934.1 



z,. 



THIS QUESTION IS POSED TO ME REGULARLY: "WHAT 

 is considered acceptable loss In the growing of a crop?" 

 Now, this will obviously vary, depending on the plant In 

 question and the culture In which It Is raised. A 3% 

 shrink Is considered acceptable In a pot crop like poin- 

 settlas and a 15% shrinks the norm for overwintering 

 certain perennials like crocosmla or some heathers. 



When It appears that your losses are above normal (3- 

 5%), It's time to reevaluate the culture in which the plant 

 Is cared for. Air movement, through fans or plant spac- 

 ing, Is the most commonly overlooked factor. 



In perennials and nursery stock, if shrinkage Is occur- 

 ring primarily in winter, your overwintering practices 

 need a second look. Garden phlox is notorious for having 

 desiccation at Its center because of the lack of air move- 

 ment during the winter months. MIcrofoam, a common 

 winter protection, Is not kind to plants that cannot toler- 

 ate high levels of moisture. Microfoam will trap excess 

 moisture on the foliage, causing all sorts of problems. 



Many growers have decided that losses of 10-20% are 

 too high and have built hoop houses In which to overwin- 

 ter sensitive material. These houses give both better In- 

 sulation and more air movement. 



Poorly drained soil mixes also come to mind as a ma- 

 jor cause of shrinkage. This Is especially true during win- 

 ter months when lower temperatures and less light dras- 

 tically slow down plant transpiration and evaporation. 

 The consistency of your soil mix is critical to plant sur- 

 vival In winter. 



lim Zablocki, "Xerritory Manager. Ihc Scotts Company. >\orthcast. 

 can be reached at 603-224-5583 



