Planting Crops
This was the first time in a few weeks that we went to the farm. The first thing that we noticed that the dirt was dry and it looked like it would be hard to grow food in it. We then saw that our flowers had grown a little but there was much more weeds than flowers. So, we divided the large amount of work that needed to be done. Keona weeded the flowerbed in order for more plants to grow.

Invented the wheel began clearing the land working tediously when our Elder approached us and rebuked us for not digging deep enough. Without the wisdom of our Elders we would not have dug deep enough and our crops would not have taken root and simply would have died off, how lucky we are to share in their wisdom.  After digging deeper we understood the soil needed to be loose. We remembered back to scavenging the sweet potatoes that they were planted in raised soil, we did the same. We broke the ground hard with literal blood, sweat, and maybe some tears. We raked the loose soil into a neat straight row easy to see and distinguish between the weeds around it, knowing the loose soil will allow our crops to take root. After clearing the land with the garden metal hoe, which was much easier than doing it by hand, we broke the soil and began to plant in hopes of reaping the benefits.

Spread of Agriculture from our Elders

Invented the wheel has evolved from hunting and gathering to agriculture having found a spot of land and already planted flowers. The elders of the tribe have now spread their knowledge to the rest of the band. Invented the wheel learned a useful technique of creating our own system to grow herbs and plants. The system grows plants with their roots in nutrient filled water. The system flows water from a tank full of fish, providing the nutrients from their fertilizer, to another area where the plants are held.  The plants get the vital nutrients they need and have proven to grow faster than in soil alone.  The system if genius and vital to the survival of Invented the wheel. The new information was learned and applied in their field, but more importantly this information has been passed down to the next generation orally, otherwise it may have been lost forever hidden in the memories of the lost elders.

We split the land on our second day at the farm. One of the groups claimed a large part of the land. So we confronted them and they agreed to have a smaller portion. Our plot of land was considerably larger than the others but we decided that it was better to have more land so that we could grow more without feeling crowded. We set part of our land for flowers and the other part is to be used for other things that we will be growing.  Shortly after we decided to sacrifice Elka to insure that we would have a bountiful harvest and have enough food to feed our band.  It was a tough decision but we know that it will be worth it in the end.

The Creation

The Band 'Invented the Wheel' was formed not merely by chance in mid April 2011. Grouped together from a select group they complement each others' talents and abilities. With a slightly higher male to female ratio they are able to have the man power to hunt game while the females are able to tend nurture and tend to the little ones as well as begin the agricultural side of the community as the males typically are out hunting. Our Elder and mentor paired the 5 of us together relying on her wisdom and experience knowing how we would complement each other to compensate for each others weaknesses and support each others strengths. The current band, Invented the wheel, has five members: Chris, Josh, Keona, Ephraim, and Elka. They begin their journey as a band and unite together to eventually grow to a stronger family unit with increasing bonds and ties between them in order to increase their chances of survival.