What is a Harvest?
What things do you think of when you think of harvest? Do you picture a large meal? Do you see tractors or people in the fields? Do you remember someone in your family canning fruits or vegetables? Have you ever helped bring in the cotton, the chilis, or the grain?
Your class can explore harvesting in several ways. You may divide into groups of fruits, vegetables, and grains. Or, you may divide into groups of Collection, Storage, Preservation, Meals, and Sharing. You may decide not to be in groups and just work as a class in all areas. For the purpose of this project, we will refer to grains, fruits, vegetables and other plants (such as cotton and herbs) as products.
Here are some of the questions you need to answer:
- What products are considered harvestable?
- What times of the year are these products harvested?
- What is done with grain after it is harvested?
- What is done with food after it is harvested?
- What is done with cotton and other nonfood products after they are harvested?
- Why must grains be stored in cool temperatures?
- In what ways can foods be preserved for long term storage?
- What is done with foods that can't be eaten right away and can't be preserved for later?
- Find four products (food or nonfood) through the websites listed in Resources and describe how they are harvested and stored.
- What kinds of tools and equipment are used in harvesting?
- How do you think harvests will change in the future?
- Send a message to students who live in the Santa Clara Pueblo about their harvest celebrations. Send e-mail to Robin.
Resources
Web sites
- Macademia Harvesting
- The Spear-it of Aspara Gus
- Appalachian Harvest
- Grain Storage
- GrainLoss
- Watermelon
- Raspberries
- Rutabagas
- Yahooligans
Also see the Presentation Methods and Ideas.