This week was pretty fun. At first I kind of regretted signing up but as the week went by it became more entertaining. Now I don't even want it to end! I learned so much about the process in making chocolate and I think it's awesome. It takes a lot of time and patience to create such a beautiful creation. The days that was most entertaining to me are probably the planting etc. because we played with dirt and I don't usually play with dirt so it was a new experience for me. The last two days was also fun because our "brand name" turned out better than I thought. Working with completely new people was another learning experience and I've got to know them and working with them was awesome. The only bad part of this camp was the mosquitoes on the first day but in all, this camp was freaking awesome and I'm very glad that I joined it! I'm going to miss it a ton! :) Joanna- On day one I learned a lot about agroforestry, cacao pods/beans and the environment the cacao plants should be planted. The cacao plant needs a lot of water like a rainforest and shade. The second day I learned about the steps of processing cacao bean to chocolate, tasting different chocolate/ cacao bean, the different methods of cracking the cacao bean shell to get the chocolate. It was a difficult task with the method my grouped was given we had the old school method winnowing. It's when we have to lay out a blanket and put the cacao bean on top then cover it to mash it with something hard enough to break the shell such as a mallet but we had to throw the cacao bean in the air so the wind will blow away the shell. Third day, I learned a lot that Ming-Li taught us such as genetics, DNA extract,DNA marker, the type of cacao pods diseases and the parts of the cacao flower. We went out in the field to see one of the cacao flower and demonstrate the plant breeder's job. Also I got to use a micropipette for the DNA marker activity and I had put the DNA into a well in the gel electrophoresis and I got to plant a cacao bean with stem to show different ways to multiply identical plants. The fourth day I got to stay in the hot sun planting cacao, banana tree, taro, sweet potatoes,cassava, gliricidia, etc to create a guild design then add mulch and compost to help the plant by providing nitrogen to the soil but create a barrel around the plant to keep the water inside. The almost last day my group had created a stock market dealing with cacao, coming up with a brand, logo, create a video and ways to grab the audience's attention with the help from Mr. Matthew. I learned how to tell which cacao bean is almost done or looks ripe but cutting the bean vertical and to see if the inside is brown. With the help of dr. chocolate ( mr. Nat) to create a chocolate bar. Mr. Nat showed us the wrong way to get a clump of chocolate and a smooth right way chocolate. Through out this week it's actually fun then I expected it to be like I had doubts in the beginning due to the mosquito bites but overall I had a great time and meeting new friends but having a positive environment and having a team that keeps you laughing all the time. #chocolatelovers Shiela - As a participant of Seeds 4 Tomorrow, I have learned a lot about agriculture throughout the week. For example, the agroforestry and conservation which they balance between each other to survive. Without natural resources, we are not able to live and produce foods. Oahu are divided into moku and there is five that represent the island. I also learned how to multiply plants by cell tissue regeneration, cutting and graphing. A guild is a selection of plants that work together to meet their needs. A food forest is a land management that consist of seven layers. My highlight for this week was the chocolate making. The steps of chocolate making from bean to bar are harvesting the cacao pods, open the pod and scrape off the beans, ferment it within in two weeks, dry it in the sun for four to five days, roast the beans, crack the beans to separate it from its shell, winnow it, refine and conch also know as melanging to form the liquor, add sugar, cocoa butter, and vanilla, the last step is tempering where it creates a shiny a chocolate. What I liked the most throughout the week was the hands on activity. We planted cacao trees, ginger, banana, gliricidia, sweet potatoes, and kukui nuts. It was a fun experience for all of us even if it became very dirty. I will use all this knowledge to help me decide what career should I pursue in the future. I will also use this knowledge to help improve the community and greenhouse in our school. This program is a great opportunity to explore careers related to plant, agricultural sciences and other fields. It was fun because it is all about learning and activities. Nisa - I really loved being here and being given the chance to participate in such an activity that doesn't only give entertainment but also knowledge regarding agriculture and most especially growing cacao and ultimately creating chocolate. I really had fun everyday although there were some days wherein I was too tired to move because we were digging and planting for hours. Regardless of that, I still loved the whole thing and I wouldn't say I hated anything here because I've been given nothing but knowledge that will help me a lot when I bond with my grandparents because they love gardening and everything about agriculture. I would definitely love to come back and invite more people who are interested in what you do here. Thank you! Vance - This week has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. the learning, the fun, the people, and the vibe as a whole have all come together to make this week a memorable experience. I have continuously realized how in the dark I have been, and still am, when it comes to agriculture. This course/camp has further increased my desire to learn as much as possible about growing food, and then apply that learning to my life. This program is truly doing good for Hawaii and the world as a whole by planting the "seeds for tomorrow". Through sharing their passion for agriculture these people and this program has impacted me in a positive way. I'm so thankful for this opportunity! Mahalo Jolina - During the past week I learned how to create good tasting chocolate from a cacao plant. I enjoyed working with everyone and tasting different types of chocolate. | Jennifer - Hi! I learn a lot throughout the week. I learn about agroforestry that there are multiple levels of plants that help each other grow. There are different levels. Ground Layer, rhizospheres (roots zone), mycelium layer, shrub, understory, herbaceous, climbers, and canopy over story. I also learn watershed, the watershed represents the flow of the water from mountain to the sea. Hawaii have different environments, different crops and watershed would be grown that fit into these environments. I learn about conservation that is very much needed to keep our own natural resources, just in case our food supply runs out. It’s important to make sure that the plants are getting their nutrients. Without conservation our food system won’t be as healthy or will not able to produce a good quality. I have the chance to learn about cacao tree and the process of cacao to chocolate beans. The farmers protect cacao from strong winds by using cylinder of plastic. You need to scratch it to see if it’s not ripe or ready to harvest. If it’s ready the color of the cacao when you scratch it is orange but if not it’s green. The step to create chocolate is harvest, open the cacao, ferment, dry, roast, crack, winnow, and refine/conch. I also learn about the Hawaii 5 I’s. Idolizing, Incubation, Insolation, Inoculation, Increased volume. I will use my knowledge that I learn throughout the week to improve our greenhouse in our school and to improve the growth of the plants. I will also use my knowledge that I learn throughout the week to improve our farm and plants growth in the Philippines and to help my community to improve their farm and plants growth. I enjoy everything we did throughout the week, mostly when we plant in the field. I’m a farm girl because I love working in the farm and I love planting, we have own farm in the Philippines. I like working in the farm and also I like learning about agriculture. I’m interested to help the Mother Nature to make it better for the next generation. It’s a good opportunity to attend this program. It’s my pleasure to worked with staff and new people and learn new things with new people. I’m taking Natural Resources in Waipahu High School and I will make a presentation in our Natural Resources Class to engage and motivate them to apply seeds4tomorrow next year or I will invite my friends to apply. I might apply again for next year. Thank you very much for this opportunity. I appreciate it very much. Seeds4tomorrow Program is a good program for young people to engage them to learn about agriculture. Also, it’s a good opportunity for young people that are interested in agriculture to earn knowledge about agriculture that will help them in the future. Marielle - This week have not been easy for most of us, but we can't deny that we had the best time of our lives. We were able to learn so many things about agriculture in just a few days and we also learned how to appreciate nature more. We really enjoyed going out into the field and learning how to create our own food forest. The picture shows us doing one of the steps of planting, which is putting the mulch around the plant area. We also enjoyed doing the gel electrophoresis because it gave us an opportunity to do a science-related activity about agriculture. Through this activity, we were able to learn how to compare DNA markers. Jonathan - The Seeds4tommorow 2015 Summer Camp was an experience unparalleled. During the week I learned such a wealth of knowledge pertaining to conservation, agriculture and agroforestry. With the help of all the staff members and the visiting guests at lunch, I can confidently say that I have a better perspective of what agriculture as a whole entails and that I now have a strong drive to move forward into an aspect of it. I feel one of the best things about this camp was that we would learn about an aspect of say agriculture and then go out into the field and actually do it. The hands on role that we were able to partake in is something you dont get to often in most other programs. Personally I think that being able to meet people that have jobs in the trade was such a prestigious part of the program. It allowed us to converse with CEOs and see what it took to get there and how it all started, something, as teens, were all unsure of. I would say that overall it was a great camp and im having a hard time finding weaknesses in the curriculum. As a testimony I would like to say, "The Seeds4Tomorrow program, enriching kids with hands on activity and rooting them in contemporary knowledge that will uplift their wings in this ever changing world." I give a big mahalo to everyone involved in making this experience possible and will remember the memories and experiences encompassed within this week. |
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