August 12th, 2011 - Last Friday at 1 p.m., Junior Scouts Troop 1441 (four girls total) came to help me harvest my herb garden at Elawa Farm! Not only did they help me with my Girl Scout Gold Project, but they also obtained a "Journey" (the new version of the badges that Girl Scouts used to achieve). It was a win-win situation for everyone and I believe that everyone had a great time.
Before the girls arrived, my mom took a picture of me with my Girl Scout Overseas shirt (which is a tad small for me; I had to keep pulling my shirt down..) and my new Elawa Farm cap. According to Mrs. Cartwright, I am an Elawa Farm Ambassador when I wear that hat. Guess I'm a Girl Scout Ambassador AND an Elawa Farm Ambassador :)
Once the girls arrived, I gave them a tour of Elawa Farm and let them explore the Garden Market (for more info, check the Garden at Elawa located in the "Links" section). There the girls met Mrs. Cartwright and she showed them nasturtiums which are edible flowers! In addition, the girls were able to take a look around at the organic products grown from the Garden itself!
Once we entered the Garden, we first took a look at the sheds containing the gardening tools and materials. Suddenly, my mom and Mrs. King spotted a small birds nest above a doorway and there were tiny newborn birds in there, chirping for their mother! It was so cute and the momma bird came flying in with food to feed to them. They are momma's children from the start :)
The girls and I explored the Garden to see what great, organic products would end up at the Garden Market next! We saw almost everything you can imagine: potatoes, pumpkins, squash, okra, lettuce, broccoli, and more. The picture above shows hot peppers ready to be ripened into spicy-ness.
In addition to a vegetable/fruit garden, the Garden contained a whole flower section near the back. The flowers were very fragrant and gave off this sweet smell of summer :) Bumblebees buzzed from flower to flower as they happily exchanged nectar between each. Any beautiful flower you can possibly imagine is grown right at Elawa.
Now the harvesting begins. The girls were very ecstatic about these fresh herbs and taking them home to cook with. They couldn't wait to find out what they would be having for dinner that night and sharing with their families. Each girl got their own plastic bags and each bag contained one type of herb. I explained to them that they should use their herbs within two days max because they taste best when they're fresh. I allowed them to take three rosemary stalks, five thyme stalks, three oregano stalks, eight basil stalks, five basil stalks, and all of the parsley.
The many plastic bags that the girls got to take home to share with their families for dinner!
The troop and I standing next to the herb beds. They're happily holding their bags of goodies :)
Thanks Mrs. King and Troop 1441 for coming to help me harvest my herb garden. I hope that you enjoyed all of your fresh herbs in your cooking and in making your food flavorful! Good luck with the rest of your Girl Scouting years ahead!
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