Nordic Skis, To a Garden of Greens

Mylie Lanier
Humanities
Jess p.5-6
5/3/2020

Growing up eating fresh, locally grown, organic food has always been part of my life.
Being outside, appreciating the beauty of nature, and caring for animals is part of who I am and
has influenced my food ethic. As a kid, it was always my dream to have a farm. I remember
going outside on summer afternoons to help my mom with the garden. She would use her finger
to push back the fertile and damp soil to plant individual seeds and cover them back up gently
as though with a blanket. My dogs would lay in the front yard with us underneath the cool shade
of the tree, as my swing would blow in the breeze. I remember her teaching me about the
garden and how to plant correctly. Most of the time, I would play in the dirt with my toys. These
are some of my most precious childhood memories, I didn't know the importance of until we
started this project. I never understood the meaning behind what my mom was doing on those
summer days in the garden.

I have been skiing with Durango Nordic since I was little. The team has become a
second family to me; everyone is so supportive and strong. We all have many things in common
that bring us together. This group of people loves being part of a team and community; we ski
because of our love for the sport, exercising, being healthy, but mostly for the love of mother
nature and the appreciation we have for being outside. Coincidently, being a part of this
community has also helped me to become the person I am today and solidify my food ethic.
One of my coaches, is Gunther Ott; who’s part of the James Ranch family. They have hosted
the nordic team for celebrations, apple picking, gatherings and skiing at James Ranch. Gunther
has introduced me to what organic farming is really like. I've been able to meet the baby piglets,
and witness them enjoy their life on this beautiful land. I've been lucky enough to pet the cows
they are milking seeing them up on the milking stand and praised for their hard work. I've been
able to watch the farmers move the chicken coop to a different area in order to rotational graze
and let the grass grow. At James, they believe that animals are living beings and should never
be treated as a commodity. They nurture their vegetables and flowers; they give them the time
needed to grow. Being on that farm, I fell even more in love with farming, and my passion for
animals grew.

For my 14th birthday, I asked for chickens so I could start my little in-town farm. For
weeks, I researched and made slide shows to convince my parents. Sure enough, a few days
before my 14th birthday Gunther texted me and asked what breeds I wanted, and added six
sweet baby chicks for me to his order of 200 for James Ranch. (City of Durango only allows 6
chickens within city limits or I’d have more!)

The day we drove to James Ranch to pick up my chickens was one of the most exciting
days of my life. I woke up very early that morning, quickly got changed and waited for a text
 Nordic Skis, To a Garden of Greens
Mylie Lanier
Humanities
Jess p.5-6
5/3/2020

from Gunther to let me know that the chicks had arrived and were ready for pick up. We drove to
James Ranch and parked behind the barn. We went down to the chicken coop where the 200
chicks were being kept. Gunther had made a section of the chicken coop just for my chicks. I
asked him for some specific breeds: 2 Buff Brahmas, 2 Road Island Reds, and 2 Ameraucanas.

When I came up to the edge of the coop, my heart melted. They were so tiny and fluffy. I
picked them all up and put them gently into the box. I gave Gunther a big hug before we left.
The whole ride home, I couldn't help but keep opening the box and looking at my little girls. I
had already set up a spot for the chicks to live in my bathroom until they were ready for the coop
my dad and I had built. Many things need to be done when you first get baby chicks. The need
to be introduced to food and water and how to drink/and eat. They also need to be socialized as
much as possible to be more comfortable with human contact. I would spend hours in the
bathroom with them sitting on the floor. Having baby chickens that count on you and know you
as their mother is an indescribable feeling. I had such a profound love and connection with them
and felt more responsible. Each chick has such a different personality that makes them unique
and sweet.

From the first day, I got my chickens, I wanted to make sure they were eating the best
food, getting proper vitamins and minerals for the best egg quality, and their overall health. I
think that the time, care, and thought I put into what my chickens ate has made me much more
conscious about what I am eating. My chickens eat our fruit and veggie scraps, which reduces
our family waste. Their eggs taste better and are more nutritious because of what we feed them.
The first eggs we got from our chickens were small but beautiful. When they laid their first eggs,
it was such an exciting and important day for me. After I collected the eggs, we cooked them for
dinner, and they were the richest eggs I have ever eaten. The yolks were a deep orange. They
had such a distinct and delicious flavor that I've never tasted from a store-bought egg. The
whites were fluffy and clean; they tasted fresh.

I felt accomplished and proud that I knew exactly where my eggs came from; I knew
what I was feeding my girls and what was going to be inside of the food I was eating. That
experience opened my eyes. to see the chickens and my work come full circle was an excellent
feeling.

I volunteered at the La Plata County Humane Society, and one day they had a rabbit
that had been left with them. My mom was away and my dad agreed to let me adopt him to add
to my little farm. While he’s not a typical farm animal, Peter’s poop has made great fertilizer for
our garden. The feeling of accomplishment and delight the chicks have given me also comes
from the garden. Planting small seeds in the raised garden bed is such a satisfying feeling.
 Nordic Skis, To a Garden of Greens
Mylie Lanier
Humanities
Jess p.5-6
5/3/2020

Then witnessing the vegetables and plants grow as I tend to them has helped deepen my
connection with the earth and my food.

I am grateful to have read The Omnivore’s Dilemma and done this project. It helped me
to see what really happens in the food industry. This project has made me even more
appreciative of locally grown organic food; it made me even happier and fortunate to have a
garden and be raising my own chickens. My beliefs and food ethics are stronger because of this
project.

On those summer days, my mom was helping our planet by reducing waste and
emissions; she was providing for our family, teaching me the importance of growing your own
food and eating properly. My mom influenced my food ethic and helped me eat healthier and eat
organic, locally grown food. She was showing me the beauty of the food chain, the importance
of health, and the balance of all living things.

First day home with my baby chicks. My English-spot rabbit Peter.

 Nordic Skis, To a Garden of Greens
Mylie Lanier
Humanities
Jess p.5-6
5/3/2020

My Silkie Snow. She is a character and can

be shy, but has ended up at the top of the
pecking order.
My first eggs.

Clover- Ameraucana
Clover as a baby. She is a clown with a lot of personality. She is
at the top of the pecking order, but protects
her sisters.
 Nordic Skis, To a Garden of Greens
Mylie Lanier
Humanities
Jess p.5-6
5/3/2020

Tillie as a baby. Tillie - Road Island Red

The sweet baby of the group, she has a limp
but is still strong follows me around, and
loves to sit on my lap.

Peaches- Ameraucana
Such a great egg layer, she follows Clover
Peaches as a baby. around and has such a fun personality.
 Nordic Skis, To a Garden of Greens
Mylie Lanier
Humanities
Jess p.5-6
5/3/2020

Henny as a baby. Henny - Buff Brahma

Sweet and shy, she is so pretty and likes to
sit in my lap.

Penny as a baby.

Penny sadly passed away about 2 years ago

Henny and Penny were best friends and
never left each other’s side. I saw a big
change in Henny after Penny passed away.
 Nordic Skis, To a Garden of Greens
Mylie Lanier
Humanities
Jess p.5-6
5/3/2020

Ginger as a baby.

Ginger- Road Island Red

Such a sassy and fun personality, she loves

to explore and is a great layer, Ginger wants
to be at the top of the pecking order.
 Nordic Skis, To a Garden of Greens
Mylie Lanier
Humanities
Jess p.5-6
5/3/2020

Paragraph 1: Describe the project and some of the things you learned throughout.

Throughout this project, we explored the chemistry of food and chemical formulas for different
foods. We also discussed the relationship that we have as humans and our society has with our
food sources. We explored different food chains, agriculture, the ethics/relationships we have as
individuals towards our food. I learned so much about the food chain and the agricultural side of
food and farming; I learned how the things that we advertise as organic aren’t always natural in
the way the food is raised or fed.

Paragraph 2: How did the interdisciplinary nature of this project impact your learning?
How did studying food in both classes impact your learning?

We looked at the chemistry behind the food we eat, such as nutrition, carbohydrates
sugars/starches, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and measurement in the kitchen. We learned
what’s happening on a chemical level to our food and what our bodies really use. In Humanities,
we looked at the food in our society today and the relationships we have with food and our
planet. I really like the connections we made with food in each class; it helped me to better
understand how important what we eat really is.

Paragraph 3:What are your main takeaways from studying food academically? How has
your thinking about food changed from before?

This project has strengthened my beliefs and my food ethic. I believe that animals should be
treated as living beings, not a commodity, that the things we plant should be nurtured and given
time to grow. I learned about what our bodies need to survive on a chemical level and what the
food we eat is made up of. I think that buying locally grown organic food or growing our own
food is the best way. I learned a lot about the life that animals have in industrial farms before
they get to our table. I learned that organic isn’t always organic, and when we can, always
consider where the food we get is coming from and how the food we get is treated.