Just as most flower blooms are waning, the colorful chrysanthemum begins to shine. For Oak Farm Montessori High School Sophomore, Madelyn Burtch, tending to over 500 of these plants has become more than just a FFA project; it is a commitment to their growth and development.
Madelyn chose to grow the mums as part of her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) project for the year. As defined by FFA, "SAE refers to a hands-on, practical learning component within agricultural education programs. In a supervised agriculture experience, students actively engage in real-world agricultural activities under the guidance and supervision of a qualified mentor or advisor."
Fortunately for Madelyn, we had two very qualified mentors available to assist her. Our OFMMS Farm Manager, Crystal Leu, helped problem-solve many aspects of the project; including where to put 500 flower pots! Gena Grobarek, OFMS Ecoliteracy Coordinator, helped oversee the proper care of the plants, fertilizer implementation, and the creation of a custom OFMS soilless potting medium complete with composted manure from our very own livestock! Madelyn shared of her mentors, "It's been truly wonderful to have that expertise. That's another reason I'm grateful to be doing the project here at the school, to have professionals to help answer questions."
Starting the mums from seed would have been too time consuming and expensive. Madelyn decided to purchase 'plugs' from a nursery in North Carolina, but still had to plant 530 of them into individual pots and then space them on the allotted property behind the middle school.
When considering the overall care for the healthiest crop of mum, she calculated that to water the plants by hand would have taken 2-1/2 hours each day over the summer, a commitment that was not sustainable or in the best interest of a crop that does not thrive well when watered overhead. In order to maintain the health of the crop and increase efficiency, she worked with Gena to research, and both mentors to ultimately purchase a drip irrigation system. This investment would do the job without human involvement, on a timer, and deliver water in the most optimum and conservative way to the plants. "It took about a week to set up and then we initially had problems with the water pressure. The hose would get clogged and we had to add adaptors to make it work correctly. My grandpa spent a lot of time on the phone with the manufacturer as well," Madelyn shared of the experience. She also shared that this drip irrigation system can be used in many applications for other projects at the school.
As part of the SAE project, Madelyn is keeping a journal. She not only is recording expenses, but also reflections on what is working well and what revisions she might make in the future. With opportunities for college scholarships, a potential career path, and a lasting impact on her local FFA chapter at Oak Farm Montessori School, Madelyn is already planning for next year.
If you would like to support the OFMS FFA chapter by purchasing one of Madelyn's Mums, follow this link to purchase your favorite fall foliage of orange, red, or yellow for $20 each. The plants may be picked up daily, Monday through Friday, at carline from the middle school, or next Friday at Fall Fest.
