Hello and Welcome to my Countdown to Mars Page!

Just think that by 2024 Elon Musk plans on putting people on Mars! That means by the time my middle school students graduate from high school man might be walking on Mars. If NASA and private industry are looking at the Moon and Mars for future colonies then we need to figure out how to feed these people. Currently, NASA is focusing on plant based foods and not so much on proteins.

Would you want a one way ticket to Mars with only a plant based diet?

Since I do not plan on going, but it is feasible for my students they will be challenged to figure out

How Can We Grow Chickens on Mars?

Students will participate in growing crops the chickens will need to eat and experimenting with what is the best way to grow those crops under martian conditions. At the same time, students will raise chickens and learn what they need to grow and survive. Students will have an interesting challenge of growing chickens in a different atmosphere and providing the food they need to survive.

This grant was written by Dr. Matt Koci, Dr. Lynn Worley-Davis from NC State and NC Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom through NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture). The idea of the grant is to engage students in agriculture practices by using Mars as the hook.

Keep checking back throughout the year to see if the students can solve the problem of Growing Chickens on Mars!