This morning I had a unique Peace Corps Experience I thought I would share. Working with Plenty I have a chance to do a lot of work dealing with agriculture and organic gardening. One of the schools that I regularly work with, St. Benedict Roman Catholic School, was in need of some organic fertilizer. Ermain (Plenty Field Officer) and I scheduled to go out with some students and a teacher to collect cow manure.
We arrived at the school around 9:00 this morning and picked up 8 students and the teacher responsible for the garden. Everyone piled into the back of our pickup truck and we headed off. While driving the short distance to the pasture I commented to Ermain that if we were in the States someone would loose their job for allowing 8 elementary age kids to ride in the back of a pickup truck. Please note that our truck does not have a cab or a working tailgate.
So we arrived at the field and spent a good 45 minutes picking up dried cow manure. I have never seen children so excited to be picking up something that came out of the back end of an animal. To them it was a contest. We just about filled the truck with manure, everyone pilled back into the truck. We drove back to the school and then unloaded the goods.
The reason behind the manure collection is to incorporate it into the soil to add nutrients that plants extract while growing. However I am sure that the kids saw it as a chance to get out of the classroom, eat some unripe fruit from a farmers trees and then throw dried cow crap at each other.
In all it was quite a successful morning. I only wish I had brought my camera!
