- Author: Susana C. Bruzzone-Miller
Day 4- Food
What is local food?
Why buy local food?
What is a food mile?
Today we explore where our food comes from and delve into our complex global and local food system....How far does a pineapple or a cashew travel before it gets to your plate? Does it travel by boat....train...truck? What grows in California? What are Ventura County's top crops? And what about packaging of food items is it sustainable?
![Prey and predator gets us started on the topic of the day…food Prey and predator gets us started on the topic of the day…food](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61273.jpg)
![starting a home garden in recycled containers starting a home garden in recycled containers](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61277.jpg)
![recycled silly planters recycled silly planters](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61275.jpg)
![butternut squash seeds planted and ready to go home butternut squash seeds planted and ready to go home](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61274.jpg)
![another happy gardener another happy gardener](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61276.jpg)
![camper with planting camper with planting](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61278.jpg)
![today's harvest, farm fresh strawberries today's harvest, farm fresh strawberries](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61279.jpg)
- Author: Susana C. Bruzzone-Miller
Day 3-Energy
What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy?
Why is energy important?
How can we conserve energy?
Energy day is always popular and delicious! After contemplating journal questions and discussing renewable and non-renewable energy sources, the fun begins! The big solar oven worked hard to bake brownies. Campers crafted personal solar ovens out of pizza boxes and made that delightful camping tradition…s'mores! Even though the sun didn't cooperate this year, the s'mores were still amazing. Solar ovens are enroute home to hopefully, have another go on a sunnier day. Pedal power was a plenty on the blender bike. The farm fresh Strawberry Kale Smoothies were a big hit.
Strawberry Kale Smoothies
1 cup orange juice
1 cup kale
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1 frozen bananas
Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
![Electric train tag gets campers ready for the topic of the day...Energy Electric train tag gets campers ready for the topic of the day...Energy](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61248.jpg)
![Teamwork makes pizza box solar oven construction easier and more fun. Teamwork makes pizza box solar oven construction easier and more fun.](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61249.jpg)
![S'mores in the oven, but where's the sun today? S'mores in the oven, but where's the sun today?](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61250.jpg)
![Enjoying S'mores Enjoying S'mores](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61251.jpg)
![Monitoring temperature in solar oven on an overcast day Monitoring temperature in solar oven on an overcast day](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61255.jpg)
![smoothie assembly line smoothie assembly line](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61257.jpg)
![Pedal power Pedal power](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61254.jpg)
- Author: Susana C. Bruzzone-Miller
Day 2-Land
The day begins with journaling and a farm nature walk. Along the way, campers encounter evidence or indicators that animals use and call the farm home. Today is about understanding the importance of open space, natural resources and waste management.
Americans throw away approximately 250 million tons of trash/year. That is 500,000,000,000 pounds of garbage! Yikes! How we dispose of our waste or garbage has an impact on our land. Campers learn to differentiate between trash, recycling and compost and continue weighing and charting their own camp waste. Worm composting or vermicomposting is an easy way to reduce some of our waste bound for a landfill and everyone is excited to build their personal worm bin to take home.
![Land day farm nature walk Land day farm nature walk](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61217.jpg)
![Farm nature walk Farm nature walk](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61216.jpg)
![Evidence of life on the farm Evidence of life on the farm](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61205.jpg)
![Recycle Reuse Reduce Recycle Reuse Reduce](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61206.jpg)
![Waste watcher trash tracker updated each day Waste watcher trash tracker updated each day](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61221.jpg)
![Learning about worm composting Learning about worm composting](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61208.jpg)
![Worm bin assembly line Worm bin assembly line](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61218.jpg)
![Worms and more worms Worms and more worms](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61210.jpg)
![Hands-on learning at its best Hands-on learning at its best](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61220.jpg)
![Worm bins to take home Worm bins to take home](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61219.jpg)
![Today's harvest, kale Today's harvest, kale](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61211.jpg)
- Author: Susana C. Bruzzone-Miller
UC HAREC began hosting 4-H Sustainable You! Summer Camp in 2014. Since then, the education staff has trained other UC Research and Extension Center (RECS) staff to deliver this curriculum created by Dr. Roslyn Brain of Utah State University. Similar Sustainable You! Summer camps are in progress at Desert REC in Imperial County and Hopeland REC in Mendocino County.
Sustainable You! interactive activities are based around the five major areas of sustainability: land, air, water, food, energy and aim to develop an appreciation and respect for our natural environment. Each day, campers learn simple actions they can implement to lessen their impact on the environment. And while these are serious topics, it's summer….so it's all about having fun while learning.
The City of Ventura is again our partner. Their collaboration helps us deliver this amazing program.
2019 Sustainable You! Summer Camp Staff:
Kelsey Hammond, Environmental Specialist, City of Ventura
Alli Rowe, Education Specialist, UC Cooperative Extension-Ventura County
Ben Zeko, Jr. leader, Student-Foothill Technology High School
Gwyn Vanoni, Education Specialist, UC HAREC
Annabel Faris, Program Coordinator, UC HAREC
Susana Bruzzone-Miller, YFC Program Manager, UC HAREC
We are excited to welcome our 31 campers that include, for the first time, youth from Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Paula, Piru and Fillmore.
Day 1: Air
Why is clean air important?
What pollutes our air?
How can you improve the air you breathe?.....all good questions our campers pondered today. But first day camp tradition calls for getting acquainted with each other while tie dying camp shirts.
![tie dye activity tie dye activity](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61168.jpg)
![tie dyed camp shirts tie dyed camp shirts](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61169.jpg)
![Pondering the journal questions of the day Pondering the journal questions of the day](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61170.jpg)
![Planting seeds to grow indoor plants that can provide oxygen in our home environments Planting seeds to grow indoor plants that can provide oxygen in our home environments](https://ucanr.edu/blogs/Hansen/blogfiles/61171.jpg)
- Guest Blogger: Joseph Nosrat-CSUCI Student
Alli explained that the State Water and Efficiency Sweep is one of the programs she works on that is focused on irrigation upgrades, pump retrofits as well as any practice that reduces water and energy use. This is important to avocado growers along with almost any kind of tree grower who might have access to a pump and can manage irrigation networks. She also runs the Healthy Soils program which is focused on any practice that helps sequester carbon in the soil to reduce greenhouse gases. The soil demands are different with each system which creates complex needs with each grant project. Alli explained, “I kind of act as a communication bridge between scientific advisors and the farmers or ranchers”. Alli does the grant writing for these programs as well as helps farmers implement new practices acting as a helpful intermediary. A 32-acre plot that will be transitioned from row crops to avocado crops is one noteworthy grant project Alli discussed. The problem is the soil was heavily tilled by previous owners which stripped it of carbon rich nutrients. Alli explained, “the research component is looking at different cover crop mixes with each season to build up organic matter”. In this project reducing the disturbance of soil and reintroducing organic matter are the key factors to restoring the soil to grow avocado crops.
Alli will also be a guest educator explaining climate smart agriculture at HAREC and she will help deliver the 4-H Sustainable Youth Summer Camp 2019 in June.