AGRI-ZERO

Understanding ecosystems, organisms and agriculture. New perspectives on the oldest settler human survival process.

Valldaura

We hiked to the beautiful campus while learning about the ecology around us. Once at the top, we had a tour of the greenhouses and observatories built by the MAEBB students. We did some tilling and cleaning for a part of the space to get immersed into the seminar. It was educational, exhausting and fun. 

Essential Oil

We separated the leaves from stems and started the process. The amount of leaves created to make such a small amount of oil surprised me and made me question the amount of resource that is used to make other items that I use everyday. The leaves had a mild aroma but the oil was very effervescent.

Soil Samples

We went through some samples of soils and analysed them to uncover the nutritions in them. It was interesting to see the differences in the compositions and why different types of soil works better for different organisms.

Seed Analysis and Propagation:

We had to learn a few plant species and how they are propagated. We learned about why certain plants grow better together and were given the task to propagate the seed I received a pepper seed. I have not planted my seed yet. I will update here as I do.

Reflection

This was a very refreshing week as it was very grounding to realise the perspectives that Jonathan expressed. The week made me appreciate even more the farmers who work endlessly to feed and nourish the world. I also enjoyed learning about different ecotones and the connectedness of different species to support a simple system of life. 

Agriculture is not a prominent area in my design space but I did enjoy learning every second of it. The course made me feel more confident about getting my hands dirty. This course also taught me patience as a virtue since plants take a long time to grow and it is not easy to see instant results. I will carry these learnings with me and apply them by implying the values of the flora and fauna as I move forward.