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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3458" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Come to today\'s panel discussion/brown bag: &quot;The Science of Food&quot; from 12:00 to 1:00 in Kunkle Auditorium!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The panel will explore will explore the scientific perspectives of food?s growth and consumption. Th..." target="_self">Friday, September 12</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:07:21 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Come to today\'s panel discussion/brown bag: \"The Science of Food\" from 12:00 to 1:00 in Kunkle Auditorium!</p> <p>The panel will explore will explore the scientific perspectives of food?s growth and consumption. The session will be led by Wayne Leibel, Kreider Professor and head of biology; Steven Mylon, assistant professor of chemistry; Elaine Reynolds, associate professor of biology and chair of neuroscience; David Sunderlin, assistant professor of geology and environmental geosciences; and Peter Zani, visiting assistant professor of biology. Lunch will be provided.</p> <p>Again, 12:00 noon in Kunkle Auditorium--</p> <p>Wayne Leibel, Biology<br /> Steve Mylon, Chemistry<br /> Elaine Reynolds, Biology, Neuroscience<br /> David Sunderlin, Geology<br /> Peter Zani, Biology</p> <p>Continue the conversation about the freshman summer reading, The Omnivore\'s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, with science professors from</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3458\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3457" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Come to today\'s panel discussion/brown bag: &quot;The Science of Food&quot; from 12:00 to 1:00 in Kunkle Auditorium!&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;The panel will explore will explore the scientific perspectives of food?s growth and consumption. Th..." target="_self">Friday, September 12</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:07:20 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Come to today\'s panel discussion/brown bag: \"The Science of Food\" from 12:00 to 1:00 in Kunkle Auditorium!</p> <p>The panel will explore will explore the scientific perspectives of food?s growth and consumption. The session will be led by Wayne Leibel, Kreider Professor and head of biology; Steven Mylon, assistant professor of chemistry; Elaine Reynolds, associate professor of biology and chair of neuroscience; David Sunderlin, assistant professor of geology and environmental geosciences; and Peter Zani, visiting assistant professor of biology. Lunch will be provided.</p> <p>Again, 12:00 noon in Kunkle Auditorium--</p> <p>Wayne Leibel, Biology<br /> Steve Mylon, Chemistry<br /> Elaine Reynolds, Biology, Neuroscience<br /> David Sunderlin, Geology<br /> Peter Zani, Biology</p> <p>Continue the conversation about the freshman summer reading, The Omnivore\'s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, with science professors from</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3457\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3447" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Corn Harvest Festival is set for Wednesday, September 10. Come sample the corn and enjoy a great line-up of entertainment and activities. Festival time is 4:15-6:45 pm, on the quad, of course. We\'ll likely be picking corn in the 3:0..." target="_self">Tuesday, September 9</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:55:53 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>The Corn Harvest Festival is set for Wednesday, September 10. Come sample the corn and enjoy a great line-up of entertainment and activities. Festival time is 4:15-6:45 pm, on the quad, of course. We\'ll likely be picking corn in the 3:00 hour--all are welcome for that, as well. Here is a list of happenings at the Corn Fest:</p> <p>Fresh Corn<br /> Cherokee Indian Songs<br /> Native American Storytelling<br /> NAtive American Dance and Drumming<br /> Composting<br /> Corn Husk No-face Doll making<br /> Local Farming<br /> Corn and South America<br /> Ethanol<br /> Solar Panels<br /> Making Paper with Corn Husks</p> <p>teo other activites earlier in the day:</p> <p>12:00-1:00 pm, an interdisciplinary brown bag panel discussion: \"How We Got Where we Are (with Corn) Today\" in the Gendebien Room of Skillman Library. </p> <p>and from 2:30-4:00, English 140: Introduction to Film will screen KING CORN, a strange and entertaining journey into the digestive tract of our fast food nation.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3447\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3446" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A first-year student had a good question the other day: Why grow this corn on the campus when Michael Pollan himself suggests that the growing of so much corn is such a problem? Why embrace and further enable a monoculture of King Corn? ..." target="_self">Monday, September 8</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:47:37 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>A first-year student had a good question the other day: Why grow this corn on the campus when Michael Pollan himself suggests that the growing of so much corn is such a problem? Why embrace and further enable a monoculture of King Corn? That reasonable question can be answered in a number of ways:</p> <p>We grew the corn to add an experiential component to the reading of Pollan?s book, ?The Omnivore?s Dilemma.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3445" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Plant Ops kindly watered the quad corn Thursday?it was screaming for moisture after a 3 week stretch with very little rain. Stalks along quad drive were turning yellow a third of the way up from the ground. We asked for some help here, t..." target="_self">Sunday, September 7</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:45:09 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Plant Ops kindly watered the quad corn Thursday?it was screaming for moisture after a 3 week stretch with very little rain. Stalks along quad drive were turning yellow a third of the way up from the ground. We asked for some help here, to get us to the weekend when what?s left of Hurricane Hannah is supposed to move through the valley. Before that, Plant Ops had not watered since the end of June. </p> <p>Hannah moved through on Saturday, soaking the fields and bringing some relief. Several stalks of field corn we found toppled in the Skillman Library plot. These may have been knocked down by either 2- or 4-legged critters, but it is also possible that the ground got saturated and the wind knocked down the top-heavy plants. We know from planting in June that this ground tends to stay fairly wet?perhaps due to water coming of the roof of the Library and, especially on the left side of the plot, the fact that it gets less afternoon sun once it falls behind the building.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3445\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3444" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;On Tuesday students picked and donated 3 dozen ears of corn to the Safe Harbor shelter down at the bottom of the hill along Bushkill Drive. Safe Harbor, started by Lafayette students, was delighted to have the fresh corn and the students..." target="_self">Saturday, September 6</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:42:37 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>On Tuesday students picked and donated 3 dozen ears of corn to the Safe Harbor shelter down at the bottom of the hill along Bushkill Drive. Safe Harbor, started by Lafayette students, was delighted to have the fresh corn and the students loved being able to provide it to individuals who don?t often get fresh food. This connection was made via Bonnie Winfield, Landis Community Outreach Coordinator, who gave the students a fascinating history lesson on the establishment of Safe Harbor. </p> <p>Several of the worker bee students tasted the corn in the field?raw?and their eyes popped! They couldn?t believe how sweet and delicious it was. It was especially fun to see those students who planted and tended the crop get to reap this quiet, tasty reward. It?s an achievement that will never show up on a transcript. The great Jonathan Edwards (of Great Awakening fame) wrote about the difference between the knowledge that a stove is hot and the knowledge gained by touching the stove; knowing that honey is sweet, but then tasting honey for the first time. This knowledge burst seemed a lot like this kind of experiential difference. Probably not soon forgotten.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3444\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3443" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Some of the most eye opening and educational aspects of the corn on the quad project are the things that arise as the project attempts to move out into the larger community. This week we learned that the corn we have grown on the quad wi..." target="_self">Friday, September 5</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:40:42 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Some of the most eye opening and educational aspects of the corn on the quad project are the things that arise as the project attempts to move out into the larger community. This week we learned that the corn we have grown on the quad will not be cooked by the campus dining service, Sodexo. After we requested Dining Services work with us to prepare the corn at a campus-wide event or, alternately, that we work with Dining Services to integrate our locally grown corn into their offerings in the dining halls, word came down from the Dean?s office that Sodexo?s corporate policies prohibit them from preparing any food they do not completely control. Sodexo recommended we donate the corn (though not to students), buy corn approved by Sodexo, after which they would happy cook it for us. This was a surprise and disappointing. We had not predicted such a reaction, especially since Sodexo has expressed interest in helping with the campus?s ?live green</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3435" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We are working on a Corn Harvest Festival for Wednesday, September 10 in the late afternoon and early evening. The idea here is to have an open celebration of the crop coming in--to share in the bounty, to learn about issues connected to..." target="_self">Monday, September 1</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:32:25 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>We are working on a Corn Harvest Festival for Wednesday, September 10 in the late afternoon and early evening. The idea here is to have an open celebration of the crop coming in--to share in the bounty, to learn about issues connected to corn production, and to have fun. Assuming our weather holds, we will be on the quad from 4:15-6:45--we will have Native American stomp dancing and powwow music, singing, storytelling, and Iroquois corn husk doll making. There will be conversation about ethanol, corn genetics, composting, corn in South America, and turning corn husks into paper. And if we can arrange it, we will be picking and roasting the corn for all to try! More details will become available shortly--All are welcome!</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3427" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We found five ears of corn laying besides the Farinon plot yesterday. Someone had gone into and picked the corn, then stacked it beside the plot on the grass. Or maybe somebody picked it and others arranged it--who knows. This was disapp..." target="_self">Thursday, August 28</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:55:22 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>We found five ears of corn laying besides the Farinon plot yesterday. Someone had gone into and picked the corn, then stacked it beside the plot on the grass. Or maybe somebody picked it and others arranged it--who knows. This was disappointing. The corn was not ready to be picked--it was underdeveloped and had to be tossed (composted). We have all our fingers crossed that people will respect the corn long enough to let it mature and let us harvest and share it with everyone--and that day is coming soon. Still, students in the corn is something we imagined would be an issue. We were very happy that the Johns Hopkins high school students who were here during the summer respected the corn; they gave it the chance when the corn plants were small and stayed clear to let it develop. Now there are a lot more students on campus and lot more traffic on the quad. And college students are not high school students.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3427\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3426" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Several media types have done or are working on stories about Lafayette\'s &quot;Live Green&quot; initiative. The Philadelphia Inquirer came to campus to take photos and included Lafayette in a story about campus green projects that appe..." target="_self">Wednesday, August 27</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:09:00 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Several media types have done or are working on stories about Lafayette\'s \"Live Green\" initiative. The Philadelphia Inquirer came to campus to take photos and included Lafayette in a story about campus green projects that appear in the paper Monday, 8/25. Channel 69 WFMZ-TV was on campus today for a story about the corn and compost projects that aired Wednesday night and is viewable on-line. The Chronicle of Higher Education is working on a piece that should appear in print and on-line in the next couple of weeks. Rumor has it that even the Lafayette student newspaper is working on a story.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3425" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The corn loves hot days and the ears in the two sweet corn plots are really popping. This is especially true of the Farinon yellow corn plot. Several of these corn plants have 3 or 4 or 5 ears! This plot seems to have lapped the quad dri..." target="_self">Tuesday, September 26</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:11:08 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>The corn loves hot days and the ears in the two sweet corn plots are really popping. This is especially true of the Farinon yellow corn plot. Several of these corn plants have 3 or 4 or 5 ears! This plot seems to have lapped the quad drive plot in the push to maturity, even though the predicted growing time was longer for this yellow variety. The first of this probably needs to be picked soon. We are working on scheduling a Harvest Festival where we can pick, cook, and eat the corn while we learn more about it it through activities and entertainment. More on that soon.</p> <p>Campus Security reports chasing students out of the Quad plots this past weekend. The Farinon plot sustained a little damage, but is faring well. We are hoping that students and stray animals and pests all stay out of the plots long enough for us to harvest the crop and all enjoy in the bounty.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3425\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3424" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The first day of school! The corn looks great and there are A LOT of students on the quad! Activity is everywhere and the plots look like they fit right in. The plants are starting to look dry at the base, turning yellow and brown--which..." target="_self">Monday, August 25</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:00:45 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>The first day of school! The corn looks great and there are A LOT of students on the quad! Activity is everywhere and the plots look like they fit right in. The plants are starting to look dry at the base, turning yellow and brown--which is normal--with the middle and upper plant green and vibrant. Yield looks strong (two local farmers have seen the plots and are impressed with the number of ears the plants are bearing--\"earing up\" its called. This success is notable because the ground of the quad is nothing like the ground in a farm field. For one thing, the soil on the quad is incredible packed down from all the foot traffic it receives. That made it very tough to break up--very different, than soil that is plowed and turned over regularly. Soil quality and uneven drainage are also issues. So we are doing well for growing a crop that is not meant for such a purpose.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3424\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3423" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Convocation Day for the Class of 2012! First years students have moved in, the parents are gone, and the quad has more buss than it has had since May. It\'s great to see students doing student things outside, but with the added juxtaposi..." target="_self">Friday, August 22</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:47:44 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Convocation Day for the Class of 2012! First years students have moved in, the parents are gone, and the quad has more buss than it has had since May. It\'s great to see students doing student things outside, but with the added juxtaposition of it happening around the corn. So far, students seem interested and respectful of the plots on the quad. Some are paying it little notice, some think its odd but are going with it, some are open, and some are really into it and excited. </p> <p>The highlight of the 9:00 AM convocation was the convo address given by 4 of Lafayette\'s best students: Mickey Adelman, Jen Bell, Daniella Colon, and Dan Goldberg. These guys were smart, funny, poised, and focused--they were the best convocation speaker/act in years. Even better, they demonstrated how much they and other Lafayette students are doing to make Living Green a reality at the college. This must be what they mean by the Lafayette ideal--they are true leaders--thoughtful, imaginative, compassionate, hard working. Lunch on the Quad was a fantastic picnic on the quad that was completely waste free-everything from the picnic was composted--thanks to the efforts of Prof. Art Kney and his group of eco warrior students.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3423\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3421" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The corn on the quad website gets a slide show of images from early June through now?from untouched ground to ears developing. We also added a nighttime message to the Corncam. The reason for this is that as daylight falls, the interior ..." target="_self">Thursday, August 14</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:34:37 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>The corn on the quad website gets a slide show of images from early June through now?from untouched ground to ears developing. We also added a nighttime message to the Corncam. The reason for this is that as daylight falls, the interior library lights (where the Corncam is placed) overpower the failing light of the external sky. Subsequently, the camera was registering a window reflection of a library bookshelf. Because the library lights remain on at night, that reflected image was the nighttime image of the Corncam until the light of dawn got bright enough to outshine the interior reflection and illuminate the corn again. With this new change, the Corncam at 8:00 pm switches its position to display a nighttime message, and at 6:00 am switches back to the corn as the sun rises. These pr</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3421\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3420" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Another good weeding session this morning from 7:30 to 9:00. Weeds were very manageable today?keeping after them once a week has worked well, and this may be the last Wednesday morning of organized weeding. The corn is high enough to kee..." target="_self">Wednesday, August 13</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:33:24 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Another good weeding session this morning from 7:30 to 9:00. Weeds were very manageable today?keeping after them once a week has worked well, and this may be the last Wednesday morning of organized weeding. The corn is high enough to keep most of the light from the open soil, and our work has kept weeds from getting a foothold and competing with the corn for nutrients. </p> <p>Corn in the Quad Drive plot is 7 feet high, all tassled and rich with pollen. Ears are forming (1 or 2) on most plants, with plentiful silk. This corn will be ready first, probably in 2-3 weeks. Tassles and silk are showing in the Farinon plot, as well, even on some of the stubby sized corn that was replanted following the critter attacks of late June and early July. </p> <p>This morning the crew dismantled the gaudy orange snow fence that has nicely protected the corn since the June 19 planting. In its place, we installed a simple nylon rope around each of the plots. With the orange fence gone, much more of the corn is visible. We are hoping people will still respect the plots, even though it is now much easier to enter into the corn. Coming around Farinon onto Quad Drive and looking toward the heart of campus and Skillman Library, you can now see three distinct plots of corn ringing the quad.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3420\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3419" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Added organic fish emulsion to the heirloom corn outside of Williams Center. This plot is coming along, but since it was planted last, it is behind the other plots. During this week?s weeding we noticed a lone tomato plant (probably late..." target="_self">Friday, August 8</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Sat, 16 Aug 2008 18:31:56 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Added organic fish emulsion to the heirloom corn outside of Williams Center. This plot is coming along, but since it was planted last, it is behind the other plots. During this week?s weeding we noticed a lone tomato plant (probably latent in the compost we added during the early July planting) sprouted in the midst of the Wampum ornamental corn. We were excited to see it there and decided it should stay, for good karma. The next day, we were disappointed to see it gone. We imagine either a rogue good samaritan was helping with weeds and yanked away, or a deer or other animal decided it was too good to pass up.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3412" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Early morning looked like rain, but then the sun came out and so did our team of weeders. We worked from 7:30 to 9:00 am, battling the weeds in the three quad plots. Things are looking great. The best plot remains the Quad Drive white sw..." target="_self">Wednesday, August 5</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Thu, 07 Aug 2008 02:05:59 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Early morning looked like rain, but then the sun came out and so did our team of weeders. We worked from 7:30 to 9:00 am, battling the weeds in the three quad plots. Things are looking great. The best plot remains the Quad Drive white sweet corn plot, where tassels are going crazy and some of the corn is approaching 7 feet high! Many of the corn stalks in this plot now have bushes of silk bursting out of the stalks around mid-way up the plant. Corn pollen is everywhere, and a few bees are spotted in the tops of the corn. </p> <p>The Skillman plot of field corn is showing marked difference between the 3 sub-sections. The middle section, which is not sprayed and not hoed clearly shows smaller corn, stunted by its competition with the plentiful weeds. The right side industrial corn, sprayed with Round Up, is mostly weed free, with a few hearty exceptions. The left, hand weeded side is starting to look good. The soil here is as dry as its been in quite a while.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3412\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3411" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Weeding team shrinking in size?only 4 member attended the weeding fest even though the donuts were plentiful. Weeds are not that bad. The most weeds were found in the Skillman organic treatment plot. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Quad Drive plot i..." target="_self">Wednesday, July 30</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 30 Jul 2008 16:05:36 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Weeding team shrinking in size?only 4 member attended the weeding fest even though the donuts were plentiful. Weeds are not that bad. The most weeds were found in the Skillman organic treatment plot. </p> <p>Quad Drive plot is really picture perfect. Tassels are beginning to show up on many stalks. Average height of stalks across the quad at 3-3.5 feet high, with some in the Quad Drive plot over 5 feet high!</p> <p>Today the crew added organic fish-based nitrogen to the Farinon and Quad Drive plots, fertilizer to Skillman/Industrial treatment plot. So the 3-part Skillman Library plot of field corn is starting show pronounced differences. The far right of the plot (towards Markle Hall) is free of most weeds thanks to roundup, and the far left section is free of most weeds thanks to hand weeding. The middle section of the plot has weeds galore competing with the corn for nutrients. From a distance, you can easily see that this middle section is the shortest. The overall plot is less than ideal because the ground does not drain well and because the sun moves behind Skillman in the afternoon, throwing the plot into shade.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3411\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3410" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rainy Wednesday morning. Weeding event is canceled due to rain. Three dedicated crew members show up anyway. Quad Drive Plot is weeded and additional fence posts are placed to sure up sagging fence. Corn is LOOKING great! Average height ..." target="_self">Wednesday, July 23</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:04:45 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Rainy Wednesday morning. Weeding event is canceled due to rain. Three dedicated crew members show up anyway. Quad Drive Plot is weeded and additional fence posts are placed to sure up sagging fence. Corn is LOOKING great! Average height 2+ feet.</p> <p>Next Wednesday will include weeding?plus another nitrogen treatment on the organic sweet corn and the addition of commercial fertilizer to the industrial plot.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3409" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Fencing is tightened up with zip ties, but still not tight enough. Stalks around edges of fencing are noticeably smaller and mangled due to fencing waving under windy conditions.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;..." target="_self">Monday, July 21</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:04:01 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Fencing is tightened up with zip ties, but still not tight enough. Stalks around edges of fencing are noticeably smaller and mangled due to fencing waving under windy conditions.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3408" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Very destructive storm rolls through the Valley. Winds of 60 mph and greater clocked. All stalks are fine, but fencing is observed to be loose. Plant ops is contacted regarding acquiring more posts so that the corn team can sure up the f..." target="_self">Friday, July 18</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:02:40 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Very destructive storm rolls through the Valley. Winds of 60 mph and greater clocked. All stalks are fine, but fencing is observed to be loose. Plant ops is contacted regarding acquiring more posts so that the corn team can sure up the fence.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3406" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our weeding team of students, faculty, administration and staff hoed and pulled weeds on three quad plots. Skillman plot has very noticeable differences in the three divisions; industrial treatment, no treatment, organic treatment. Indus..." target="_self">Wednesday, July 16</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:58:00 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Our weeding team of students, faculty, administration and staff hoed and pulled weeds on three quad plots. Skillman plot has very noticeable differences in the three divisions; industrial treatment, no treatment, organic treatment. Industrial treatment, i.e., roundup and commercial grade fertilizer, had absolutely no weeds, but did show signs of burned leaves?.most likely from the roundup. The corn in ?no treatment sections a light green color as compared to the dark great of the other two portions and was smaller in size. The organic treatment was not quite as tall as the industrial treatment corn, but did look healthy. Some of the height issue may have been because we were not able to do a good job weeding on July 9th because it was too wet.</p> <p>Farinon plot has various size stalks due to the crow attack and replanting. Quad drive plot is the best of three quad plot. All stalks are about the same height and there are no noticeable holes (i.e., missing stalks).</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3406\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3407" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Discovered Japanese Beatles eating the corn plants in the Quad Drive plot. Installed Beatle traps on the three quad plots.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;..." target="_self">Friday, July 11</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:58:00 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Discovered Japanese Beatles eating the corn plants in the Quad Drive plot. Installed Beatle traps on the three quad plots.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3237" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Composting, hoeing, and fertilizing of the three quad plots. A group of 9 (students, faculty and staff) meet at the Bethlehem Compost Facility and fill two pick-up trucks with organic compost, and then on the quad to work on the plots. T..." target="_self">Wednesday, July 9</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:32:29 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Composting, hoeing, and fertilizing of the three quad plots. A group of 9 (students, faculty and staff) meet at the Bethlehem Compost Facility and fill two pick-up trucks with organic compost, and then on the quad to work on the plots. The group weeds (with hoes and by hand) the two sweet corn plots, then cuts shallow trenches and lays compost along the rows of corn. The Farinon and Quad Drive plots are then treated with organic fertilizer-a liquid fish-based emulsion-that is mixed with water and sprayed at the base of the corn plants. This adds needed nitrates to the soil. </p> <p>The Skillman field corn plot is very wet and has a thick crop of weeds. For tending, the plot is divided in two: the north side (towards Markle Hall) is treated as industrial corn crops are treated, and the south half is left to hand tending and more sustainable practices. The north industrial side is sprayed with the common herbicide Round-Up. Since FC8288 is engineered to be \"Round-Up Ready,\" the herbicide will kill the weeds, but not kill the corn itself. In addition, the industrial half is hand spread with chemical 10-10-10 (percentages of nitrogen, potash, phosphorous) fertilizer-to inject fixed nitrogen into the soil This is a relatively mild fertilizer, as modern chemical fertilizers go. The south side of the Skillman plot is hoed by hand, but is too muddy (either because of overwatering, poor drainage, or both) to remove all the weeds. Workers break two hoes in the muck, and decide to wait for the ground to dry before attempting to remove more weeds.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3237\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3256" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Williams Center for the Arts plot is prepared for planting. Plant Ops uses a sod cutter and pulls up the poor quality (thin and dry) sod from the plot, then tills the ground a few inches down. The ground is extremely hard and tamped ..." target="_self">Wednesday, July 9</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:29:25 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>The Williams Center for the Arts plot is prepared for planting. Plant Ops uses a sod cutter and pulls up the poor quality (thin and dry) sod from the plot, then tills the ground a few inches down. The ground is extremely hard and tamped down. Corn workers unload the remaining compost (1/2 pick-up full) onto the plot, and work the compost into the soil. Organic fish emulsion is added to the soil and a pattern of four-triangles (for four varieties of corn) is layed out with string. Four heirloom varieties are then planted:</p> <p>Back triangle - Bloody Butcher<br /> Front triangle - Strawberry Ornamental<br /> Left triangle - Country Gentleman<br /> Right triangle - Wampum Ornamental</p> <p>Given the option of installing orange fencing to protect the corn like on the quad, we opt to not install the fence because the site does not receive the kind of traffic the quad plots do, because we reason that deer and crows would be unlikely to attack this site, and because the fencing is ugly.</p> </p><p><a href=\"http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3256\">read more</a></p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3238" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chipmunks attack sprouting heirloom seeds, nearly obliterating the bloody butcher crop. They are sprayed with organic &quot;Deer Off&quot; solution, put up off the ground and onto sawhorses, and anxiously watched.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;..." target="_self">Friday, July 4</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Fri, 04 Jul 2008 19:41:24 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Chipmunks attack sprouting heirloom seeds, nearly obliterating the bloody butcher crop. They are sprayed with organic \"Deer Off\" solution, put up off the ground and onto sawhorses, and anxiously watched.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3239" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Several faculty and staff meet in the Dean of the College office to discuss the educational program that will go with the corn project. Several ideas are embraced and projects delegated. Construction of a &quot;Corn on the Quad&quot; web..." target="_self">Thursday, July 3</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:42:36 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Several faculty and staff meet in the Dean of the College office to discuss the educational program that will go with the corn project. Several ideas are embraced and projects delegated. Construction of a \"Corn on the Quad\" website begins. Approval of the Williams Center for the Arts plot is secured for planting non-industrial heirloom varieties of corn.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3240" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Deer are seen eating in the middle of the Farinon plot in the early morning. Although the Skillman Field Corn plot has holes in the rows where corn failed to sprout, there is no more field corn seed available. Replanting in the open spac..." target="_self">Wednesday, July 2</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:43:20 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Deer are seen eating in the middle of the Farinon plot in the early morning. Although the Skillman Field Corn plot has holes in the rows where corn failed to sprout, there is no more field corn seed available. Replanting in the open spaces is not an option.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3241" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Laminated explanatory signs are produced and installed on the fencing around the quad plots. They read: &quot;This experimental corn crop is for the Fall 2008 Orientation Program. Please keep off-and out of-the corn. The corn will be rea..." target="_self">Monday, June 30</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:43:50 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>Laminated explanatory signs are produced and installed on the fencing around the quad plots. They read: \"This experimental corn crop is for the Fall 2008 Orientation Program. Please keep off-and out of-the corn. The corn will be ready in mid-September.\"<br /> Faculty meet with the Deans to update them on the project.</p> </p>');
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document.write('<li class="rss-item"><a class="rss-item" href="http://soapbox.lafayette.edu/node/3242" title="&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;More Incredible Yellow (Farinon plot) sweet corn is purchased and replanted where it failed to sprout, rotted in the ground, or was eaten by crows, deer, or squirrels.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;..." target="_self">Sunday, June 29</a><br />');
document.write('<span class="rss-date">Sun, 29 Jun 2008 19:44:28 +0000</span><br />');
document.write('<p><p>More Incredible Yellow (Farinon plot) sweet corn is purchased and replanted where it failed to sprout, rotted in the ground, or was eaten by crows, deer, or squirrels.</p> </p>');
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