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Farm Field Trips
The farm field trip component of Growing Minds strives to rebuild a connection to where food comes from and who is growing food in our local communities.
"What wonderful smells!" Jordan exclaimed when she stepped off the school bus at Flying Cloud Farm. After exploring the long rows of chard and herbs, students from Isaac Dickson Elementary's K-2 class got to help farmer Annie Perkinson wash lettuce to prepare it for market. "How do you wake up in the morning?" one child asked. "I have an alarm clock and electricity, just like you," she replied.
Stories of life on the farm are often associated with "a simpler time," where
the farmer was awakened by the crow of a rooster and had to heat their hot
water over a wood stove. Although these stories may be part of our agricultural
heritage, farm fieldtrips offer students the chance to connect with how the
food they eat is grown today and who is growing it. Students on this fieldtrip
were drawn to the beautiful flowers on the tall okra, and sampled okra pods
raw. The memory of this experience lead one student to have her mother buy
okra the next day and may encourage others to eat it when it is served in their
school cafeteria. Growing Minds is about making these connections — between
the food we eat, the farmer that grows it and the land in our communities.
Often limited to two field trips a year by funding, many teachers don't have the opportunity to offer their students the rich experiences these students had on the farm. ASAP's Growing Minds program has offered funding to make more of these connections. This includes helping to pay for transportation costs for schools, but also working with farmers to make fieldtrips a powerful learning experience rather than just a tour.
Looking for a farm to visit?
Search farms in your area using ASAP's online Local Food Guide http://www.buyappalachian.org/farms.php. Just enter "tour" under the product or service category to generate a list of farms in your area that welcome visitors. **School field trips are often a specialized service that farms may not be
equipped
to provide** If you are interested in school field trip destinations in WNC, contact Emily or Molly at ASAP (828) 236-1282.
Resources
Farm Field Trips as a Source of Farm Income
Good Farm Field Trip Children's Books
Helpful Links
A Farmer's Guide to Hosting Farm Visits for Children
Community Alliance with Family Farms - Farm-to-School Farm Visit Manual
EXPLANATION OF EFFECT OF 2005 LIMIT LIABILITY LAW ON AGRITOURISM FARMERS IN NORTH CAROLINA
Get Real Get Maine - School Tours & Orchard Field Trip Guide
Life Lab - Garden Classroom Field Trips
NH Farm to School! Program’s Farmers’ Guide to
Hosting a Class Fieldtrip
Shelburne Farms
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