C.E. - Day 3

Potrero Nuevo Farm

Day 3

February 26, 2016, was our third day volunteering at the farm. My team and I arrived at 12:45 pm and met Suzie. We helped clean another small area in the farm of weeds and dead plants so we can plant some other types of plants. Then, Suzie, the farm’s manager, taught us how we transplant most kinds of plants. Four healthy rhubarb plants were transplanted by the team. After that, we tried some fresh organic produce such as carrot that we picked it up ourselves. Finally, we helped the farm sow six different kinds of onion in raised beds. I sowed Walla Walla onion seeds in one bed and then placed it in the greenhouse. 

  The pictures below summarize what we did the third day:

Cleaning another small field in the farm.

Renita digging around the rhubarb plant in order to transplant it.

A picture of a rhubarb plant with its metal pot

Suzie teaches us a little bit about onions before we plant them 

Me sowing Walla Walla onion seeds in the wood raised bed.

The raised beds next to each other in the greenhouse.

C.E. - Day 2

Potrero Nuevo Farm

Day 2

On February 19, 2016, my team and I arrived at the farm around 12:45 pm. We met Suzie and Jay as usual and they taught us a little bit about the U-Pick program that they provide in the summer. They also made us sign a form that explained the rules and policies for training at Potrero Nuevo Farm (See the pictures below). After that, they showed us an area where they plant herbs and we did clean that area from unwanted plants that can affect the herbs feeding process.

The pictures below best describe and summarize what we did on the second day.

A picture of our team with the managers of the farm around the herbs field.

A picture of Renita working on removing unwanted plants from the field.

A picture from the other field where we spent a lot of time removing big unwanted plants from the field.

A picture of me removing a big unwanted plant from the field.

C.E. - Day 1

Potrero Nuevo Farm

Day 1

Eight miles south of Half Moon Bay is the Potrero Nuevo Farm. It’s a 300-acre private farm that is perfect to grow healthy organic produce. Without spraying chemicals, The farm benefits from breeding different kinds of cattle such as cows, to fertilize the land.

My team and I arrive at 12:30 pm every Friday at the farm. The farm managers Susie and Jay start to welcome us into the farm. We have different assignments each Friday. The first day, Susie and Jay divided us into two groups. The first group helped remove weeds and unwanted plants from the field while the other group helped spray strawberry’s plants with tea in order to protect it from harmful insects. Lastly, Susie taught us how to plant small plants the right way. It is no just digging and putting plants in the hole, it is more like knowing the soil and choosing the perfect place to plant them. For three hours, we spent the time talking and discussing farm’s work.

The pictures below summarize what we did the first day:

A picture of my team before we started working.

A picture of the first group removing unwanted plants from the field.

A picture Of me walking around the field and spraying tea all over strawberry plants

My team helped Susie plants more small plants around the field.

Blog#5 Marijuana Legalization for Ohio

Marijuana Legalization for Ohio

Marijuana legalization movements have been increased over the past couple of years. People now understand what is it, what is the advantages and disadvantages of using it. According to Governing.com, 22 states along with the District of Columbia have already legalized marijuana in some form. Some are for medical use only, others for both medical and recreational use (Governing, 19 June 2015). For example, in 2015, the legislature passed and the governor signed into law that allows the use of marijuana for medical purposes only in California. Now, there is a new movement challenges the state government of Ohio to take another look at marijuana legalization after it got rejected.

Ohio, one of the states in the midwestern region of the United State, had rejected a law that allows people to possess and use marijuana for recreation purposes. In fact, In November 2015, voters in the ballot rejected this law, saying that it

Many Ohioans are regrouping to vote for legalizing marijuana usage in this year's primary ballot. And maybe, just maybe this year the state of Ohio will surprise us and  join the rest of the 22 states that allow for the use of marijuana, at least for medical purposes.

References:

Bischoff, Laura A. "Marijuana Effort in Ohio to Face Challenge from State Lawmakers." Marijuana Effort in Ohio to Face Challenge from State Lawmakers. Dayton Daily News, 16 June 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

"State Marijuana Laws Map." GOVERNING. 19 June 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2016. <http://www.governing.com/gov-data/state-marijuana-laws-map-medical-recreational.html>.

"Marijuana Legalization in Ohio Resource Page." Health Policy Institute of Ohio. 16 Feb. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. <http://www.healthpolicyohio.org/marijuana-legalization-resource-page/>.

"Marijuana Legalization for Ohio – Legalize Ohio 2016." Legalize Ohio 2016 Marijuana Legalization for Ohio Comments. 23 Nov. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. <https://legalizeohio2016.org/about/>.

"Medical Marijuana Identification Card Program." MedicalMarijuanaProgram. 12 Feb. 2016. Web. 18 Feb. 2016. <https://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/MMP/Pages/default.aspx>.

"Failed Ohio Pot Legalization Effort Vows to Regroup." WLWT. WLWT, 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 18 Feb. 2016.

Blog#4 Catholic Social Teaching - Subsidiarity and the Proper Role of Government

Catholic Social Teaching

Subsidiarity and the Proper Role of Government

Catholic social teaching, according to the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops, is a belief created by the Catholic Church related to social justice. It includes poverty and wealth, along with economics, social organization and the state role. Those teachings help governments to set up rules that are accepted by the Catholic Church in order to bring justice to its people and value their life. It has nine themes, one of them is called “Subsidiarity and the Proper Role of Government.”

The word subsidiarity is a term in Catholicism. It stems from the Latin word subsidiarius, and it means people should feel for each other and help each and every one of them to bring the best result for all. Pope Pius XI created that term to show people the differences between “higher collectivities” and “lesser and subordinate bodies.” For example, a park needs cleaning because it became a perfect environment for mosquitoes and other insects to live in. Localities can start a program to clean the park without waiting for approval from the state or higher level governments such as the national government. For the common good, localities can create activities to help its community get involved and solve small specific problems around their area.

The concept of devolution can share the same goal as in subsidiarity concept. Devolution is to decentralize local government to have the power to legislate laws on their own. This concept empowers localities to act within their community to achieve their goals and tasks. In fact, that is exactly what subsidiarity aim to achieve. For example, if a local government sees a goal that satisfy its people in a good way, they can make a law to achieve it.

To sum up, catholic social teaching was developed by Pope Pius XI to help governments serve their people fairly. Subsidiarity is one of its themes and it represent the people of any government, and how they should act to help each other and feel for the good of all people.