Biocontrol fits Africa perhaps better than anywhere else. This trimtab technology is ripe for advancement but, in developed countries, the agriculture industry is already obliged to chemical pesticides. Though biological control with safely enhanced fungi can’t promise to address these concerns directly, we believe it has a big future in Africa because it fiercely attacks one of the roots of these farmers’ problems. And, on top of this, you hope to improve your farm by planting more crops for increased nutrition and income. However, sometimes you need these funds for malaria or other illness. With this income, your top priority is to send your children to school. Once this is accomplished, you hope to have enough surplus to sell. Your motivation is first and foremost the need to feed your family. You need something accessible and easy to use. You need something safe because you don’t want to contaminate your soil or water. You need a weed solution that is extremely low cost and with a proven return on your investment. Imagine you are a woman smallholder farmer with only your farm for subsistence. PROBLEM SPACE: African smallholder farmers worst weed, Striga, depletes 20-80% of their maize, sorghum, millet, and rice yields. With the large majority of Kenya maize farmers being women, they have designed a delivery system that uses women’s knowledge of food preparation to prepare the inoculum substrate – making this a gender-based food security solution. In Kenya, The Toothpick Project has designed and deployed an ecologically-sound solution: a biocontrol technology using a locally-sourced fungus substance, technically an “inoculum,” embedded onto a toothpick that kills Striga and improves crop yield by averages of more than 50%. Striga’s origin in Africa is unclear, but its devastation on smallholder farms has increased for the last seven decades. SUMMARY: The Toothpick Project addresses a critical problem: 40 million African smallholder farmers lose from 20-80% of their maize, sorghum, millet, and rice crops to Striga, a parasitic weed. Introductions, Forewards, and Contributions.Notes On Anne and Bucky Fuller’s Deaths.Eight Strategies for Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Science.This heart marshmallow and toothpick building activity would be perfect for a Valentine’s Day party. We started with some simple plane shapes and then moved onto some 3-D shapes.Īnd even though I wouldn’t let the kids eat the marshmallows as they were building (I know- how cruel LOL), I caught this little guy sneaking a taste! My first grader, Lucy, first wanted to create shapes. He was so proud of his completed structure when he was done! My preschooler, Theo, started by building some small structures.Įventually he decided he loved creating super long designs the most. How My Kids Used the Marshmallows and Toothpicks Many young children find it easier to create flat designs rather than 3-D structures, while older children love building up. Even I had fun creating! I also love how this activity is pretty much adaptable to any age. There’s so much to love about this activity! It encourages creativity and problem solving– kids love trying to create all kinds of structures and have to problem solve if they don’t turn out as planned. ( Colored toothpicks would be fun too!)Ĭreating Heart Marshmallow Toothpick Structures Flat toothpicks might be a better choice if you are doing this activity with younger children or with a large group of children. We used round toothpicks, but they can be quite sharp. Heart-shaped marshmallows (We found ours at our local Target.).( This post contains affiliate links.) Heart Marshmallow Toothpick Structures Materials for Heart Marshmallow Toothpick Structures My kids and students have always loved building with marshmallows and toothpicks (and we’ve also created with orange peels and toothpicks)! When I found these heart-shaped marshmallows at the store, I couldn’t wait to let the kids try the same activity, but this time with a Valentine’s Day twist. Marshmallow toothpick structures are always a hit with kids, and these heart-shaped marshmallows and toothpicks are all you need for this fun STEM / STEAM activity for Valentine’s Day! Be sure to check out all our Valentine’s Day ideas for kids!
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