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Market Cooking for Kids: Facilitating Field Trips to Sustainable Agriculture Farms

Final Report - July 1998

Principal Investigators:
Sibella Kraus
Karin Rosman
Contact Sibella Kraus
1417 Josephine Street
Berkeley, CA 94703
Phone: (510) 526-1793
Fax: (510) 524-7153
E-mail: sibella@igc.org

A FARMER'S GUIDE TO HOSTING FARM VISITS FOR CHILDREN
by
Market Cooking for Kids
A project of the Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agriculture (CUESA)

WHY A FARM FIELD TRIP GUIDE?
"What people do not understand, they do not value, what they do not value, they will not protect, and what they do not protect, they will lose. "-- Charles Jordan

In the San Francisco Bay Area, as in other urban areas, most children know little about where their food comes from and the relationship between their own health, healthy food, healthy regional agriculture, and an overall healthy environment. For many young people, farmers and farming have an almost mythical quality, people and places imagined but not directly experienced. Urban children still read books that include farm animals and sing about old MacDonald, but most have never been to a farm or met a farmer. If future generations are going to care about farms and farming they must be directly exposed to the people and places that produce their food.

Many farmers already host educational trips. The goals of this guide are to share the good educational ideas that are already in practice on farms and to encourage and facilitate farm field trips by providing workable, effective ideas for planning and hosting educationally powerful visits. We have focused suggested activities on elementary school students, though many activities are adaptable for other age groups. This guide can also serve as a resource and starting place for teachers who want to plan farm field trips.

LEARNING ON THE FARM

Hands-on experiences
Farm visits provide a perfect opportunity for students to use all of their senses to learn: the more they can touch, smell, and taste the things they are learning about, the more deeply they will understand and remember what they learn. Even the simplest aspects of farm work are worthwhile for students to experience. While harvesting produce or helping to milk cows or goats are time-honored activities, weeding, turning compost, digging, gleaning, and other tasks can be equally as engaging.

It is easiest to allow ample hands-on time to students when the size of the group is manageable. We recommend dividing a class into smaller groups (5-10, ideally) for many of the activities. Group size should be determined by how many adults are available to help lead and supervise activities, and the age and energy level of the group.

Offering students an explanation of what they are doing during hands-on activities, and how it fits into the "big picture," is essential. If students understand that digging prepares a bed to be planted, or that weeding by hand helps reduce the need for pesticides, they are able to see the purpose behind the work.

It is important to realize that hands-on experiences on the farm won't always equate to "getting the work done." The focus should be on the experience: process rather than end product. If some good work gets done along the way, so much the better. For guidance on specific hands-on activities, see the General Activities section.

Observing the seasons
Just as seasons influence the work of the farm, the specific work and crops that accompany each season can help organize a successful farm field trip.

Building lessons around the concept of seasonality is particularly meaningful for urban children whose direct experience of fresh fruits and vegetables is often limited. Canned, frozen and processed foods and the ready availability of imported produce in most supermarkets have lessened children's awareness of when crops are in season.

The simplest way to incorporate the concept of seasonality is to talk about what is happening during the current season, what happened before it, and what will be happening in the next season. Talking students through the whole cycle of the seasons and involving them in a hands-on way in the activities of the current season, is a useful lesson in the reality of food production.

PLANNING

When hosting a farm field trip, it is crucial to have a thorough conversation with the teacher who is bringing the group. Make certain teachers understand that you can act as host and teacher at the farm only if they (and the adult chaperones) take responsibility for the conduct of the group. Have the discussion well in advance of the visit so that both you and the teacher can prepare as necessary. It is useful to discuss the following issues:

When to Call
Teachers are hard to reach by phone (as hard to reach as many farmers!). When you call the school, find out what time teachers have lunch, when the school day ends, and if the teacher has a "prep period." These are the best times to call. Ask the teacher for a home phone number so that you can reach her during the evenings.

Number of students visiting
Determine the number of students your farm can accommodate. Teachers often want to visit with more than one classroom to share the expenses of a bus. You should decide how many classes (typically 16-30 students each) your farm can accommodate. Let teachers know clearly what your limits are. Ask if there are any students with special needs that should be discussed.

Age of students
In order to prepare appropriate activities, you need to know the age or grade level of the students. In order to determine what age levels you can best accommodate, think about what you want to teach and share at your farm and discuss this with the teacher. In general, shorter, simpler activities are best for younger students. Even a simple task like weeding can be adapted for different age levels -- one farmer noted that young children were great at clearing away big weeds in the orchard, whereas weeding in beds was more appropriate for older children.

Number of adult chaperones and teachers
If you want a minimum or maximum number of adults to accompany the students, let the teacher know. If you plan to divide the visitors into groups, it is a good idea to have one adult per small group. For example, if you have 24 students and plan on dividing them into three groups, you might tell the teacher they should bring at least three and no more than six adults.

Role of adult chaperones
Parents and other adult volunteers who accompany students on field trips do so to be helpful, and should be given a clear role or responsibility. If adult support is needed to manage the group, the teacher should make this expectation clear to all volunteers, prior to the group's arrival and again upon arrival.

Size of groups
Small groups of 5-10 students allow for more hands-on time, stay focused better, and are easier to move around the farm. Most teachers are familiar with working with students in smaller groups and will welcome this approach. If possible, try to involve several members of the farm staff in the visit.

Travel time and directions
Discuss the length of the visit and how long it will take to get from the school to your farm. Provide clear directions to be passed along to the bus driver, including where the bus can turn around and park. Make clear your time limitations and learn what those of the teacher are. Clarify what the group's needs are for lunch and snacks, and schedule breaks accordingly.

Lunch and snacks
clarify what the group's needs are for lunch and snacks, and schedule breaks accordingly. For an additional cost, or as part of your fees, you might offer snacks of fresh produce or farm products.

Special interests
Find out what the visiting group's specific interests are, and what they hope to get out of the visit. If possible, work with the teacher to synthesize those interests into a theme for the day. A theme can be a concept or questions that bring together the different experiences of the day. For example, you may wish to focus on "life cycles," including a discussion of plants, animals, soil, and compost. Themes can be very basic, such as "where do food and fiber come from," learning about farm animals, raising food crops, the medicinal and culinary value of flowers and herbs, or what happens in each season on the farm.

Preparation and follow-up activities
It is useful for you to know how students will prepare for their visit to your farm, and how they will follow-up on the experience. You may recommend that the group prepare questions to ask you when they visit. Or, students might read a book about a farm before visiting and discuss what they think they'll see and do. You may also want to suggest that the group observe things on their way from the school to the farm. What changes did they notice in the smells, sounds, and landscape? Will the students be completing a writing or other activity after their visit? If you know what infonnation they are gathering for follow-up assignments, you can help provide access to what they need. The more students are asked to think about the visit before and after they go, the more they will learn and remember.

Costs for a visit
Most farms around the San Francisco Bay Area charge between $1 -5 per student for day visits. Some farms run occasional visits for schools at no cost, but farms that charge a small amount are typically able to host trips more often because the fee helps to cover time lost from other work or other expenses incurred in hosting the trip. Teachers need time to arrange the funding for a trip (either through school funds or student fundraisers), so it is a good idea to discuss this early.

GUIDELINES FOR GENERAL ACTIVITIES

Don't over plan
Dru Rivers of Full Belly Farm says that the biggest mistake she made in her first years of hosting educational visits was to plan each minute of the day. Inevitably things wouldn't go according to plan and the day could seem rushed or hectic. She also points out that kids need some unstructured time to "just play." It's a good idea to leave enough flexibility in your schedule to spend more time on activities that students really like and cut short activities that are less engaging.

Give Equal time
Those who are familiar with elementary school children will attest to fairness being a "big deal" at this age. Avoid hassles by ensuring that all students get a chance to participate in activities equally. If this is not possible, try rotating who gets a chance to do things, letting students know that over the course of the day, they'll each get to participate in something special. If students are engaged in an activity that requires tools and you don't have enough for each student to have one, make sure that one or more adults supervise the activity so each student gets a turn to work with the implement.

Set clear ground rules for children and adults
A visit will be much more successful for you and the group if everyone has a clear understanding of the rules. Specify any rules that are needed to make the visit safe for all, and comfortable for you and your staff. For example:

Make it clear to parents and teachers that you need them to help supervise the children's learning throughout the day, and that you'll be asking them for help at certain points. They should concentrate on helping the group stay focused.

Meeting people who work on the farm
Sometimes this happens along the way as other activities happen. It can be a nice change of pace for you and your staff to talk to kids, answer their questions, and ask them some yourselves. If you have staff members who speak another language (Spanish, for example), many bilingual students will especially welcome a chance to talk with them.

SUGGESTIONS FOR HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

Planting /transplanting from seedling to pot
Ideal Group Size: Small groups. Equipment: Seeds, starts, or bulbs; plastic cups; trowels. Adults Needed: One per small group.
You can poke holes in the bottom of recyclable plastic cups and use these for students to plant a seed or seedling to take home, or to their classrooms or school garden. Most students don't realize that many plants are started in a greenhouse and later transplanted. It can be a great lesson to show students how transplanting is conducted. If students are very young they may not plant or transplant things as successfully as you would, so it's best to plant things with supervision. If they are planting/transplanting on the farm, you should choose a space where it won't be a problem if the plants don't germinate. If the students take seedlings back, tell them what kind of care to provide.

Harvesting
Ideal Group Size: Whole group. Equipment: Harvesting implements, if needed. (If implements are sharp they can be passed out to adults only.) Baskets or boxes to hold harvest. Adults Needed: One to each 5-10 students if you want roving adults to help oversee a careful harvest or supervise sharp harvesting tools.
This is often the best loved activity for kids, in part because it may involve another great activity -- eating! Be cautious when taking students into production areas. Make sure students and chaperones clearly understand where to walk, so beds don't get trampled, and specify how much of a crop they can harvest. Have adults oversee the harvesting if you only want to harvest a small amount. For example, if you are harvesting flowers with kids, have them each stand near the one flower they want to harvest and have the adults come around with shears allowing each student to harvest her flower. It is preferable to have each student partake in harvesting rather than having a few students do so on behalf of everyone.

When harvesting a large quantity, James Cohea of the Our Farm CSA project reports that they've found it useful to identify which students are fastest at harvesting and put them in the front of a row to have them set the pace. This is a good way to make a game of things and make a work experience more productive.

Tasting
Ideal Group Size: Whole group. Equipment: Water to rinse produce or fruit; hose for kids to rinse their hands; a knife if needed; serving container. Adults Needed: None.
There is no better hands-on experience. Kids enjoy tasting crops even more when they've harvested them. This can be a great way to get kids to try things that they might not try at home. If the group is staying for a meal, try to incorporate farm produce. Making a salad, preparing fruit, or making herbal tea for a meal is educational and fun for students. If you grow several varieties of a crop, consider letting the kids taste and compare them.

Composting, Soil Exploration
Ideal Group Size: Whole group. Equipment: Digging implements. Adults Needed: None. With the increase in school gardens, some students may be familiar with small scale composting. It is great to have students see different stages of compost, help turn a heap, or turn compost into a bed. Have students feel the soil and notice the different textures and smells. Talk about decomposition. If you have a coat hanger or metal rod to insert in a pile so that kids can feel the heat of a hot pile, this is always very impressive. Many kids enjoy digging so having kids turn or sift soil can be very satisfying.

Petting animals, feeding animals
Ideal Group Size: Small groups. Equipment: Feed. Adults Needed: One per small group. Contact with animals is without question the favorite farm activity of most kids. "While it's great to talk to kids about concepts like organics and sustainability, at a young age they take so much in through their senses, and animals provide so much sensory input," says Dru Rivers of Full Belly Farm. Having kids participate in the normal chores and care of animals is an excellent learning experience. Be sure to provide a handwashing station so the kids can clean their hands after handling animals.

Gleaning
Ideal Group Size: Whole group. Equipment: Harvesting tools, boxes for produce. Adults Needed: None, though they can help and motivate.
Gleaning can be an extremely rewarding service-learning project for young students, junior high and high school students, and civic and religious groups or workplace volunteers. Even very young students can glean a remarkable amount in a short time. Salvaged food can be donated to a local food bank or soup kitchen or be sent home to feed the volunteer group. While young students can sometimes find a big project daunting, there is a great sense of accomplishment in completing a big task. Moreover, harvesting or gleaning food gives students an appreciation of the "countless labors" that go into bringing their food to the store and dinner table.

Other Ideas
Following are additional suggestions from farmers for children's activities which you may wish to adapt for your farm.

Activities that can tie in to school subjects
Here are some ways to connect a farm visit to classroom learning:

GROUP MANAGEMENT AND SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS

It should be made clear to teachers that management of the group's behavior during a visit is the responsibility of the teacher and adult chaperones. Farm staff who are involved showing students the farm and teaching them about it can only succeed if others are managing the group.

Students are usually so engaged by what they see and do on farms that while they may be energetic, they are interested and well-behaved. To ensure that visits run smoothly, host farms should:

Staffing a visit
The farm must have at least one person who is responsible for planning for and hosting the group. Some farms recruit interns who have a background working with young people, to more easily host trips. If the classes include bilingual students, a staff person who speaks another language can be a wonderful host.

Insurance considerations
Ask the teacher to provide you with a letter from the school or school board saying that the
liability insurance that covers students during school also covers them on a field trip. You should also contact your insurance agent and let them know that you are planning to host field trips. Explain that the group will have its own coverage and inquire whether you need additional coverage. If so, ask the school to cover this cost.

Safety considerations
As a precaution, make sure that the teacher or adult chaperones bring any medications a student may need. If any student is known to be allergic to bee stings, have that student put in a group with the teacher, who should have their medication. Make sure the group has a first aid kit. Think through where you' 11 be taking the group and remove hazards.

Bus companies
Bus companies require adequate space to safely drop off the group and to park the bus. A bus company may call you with specific direction questions.

Bathrooms
If possible, make a couple of bathrooms available to the group. If you are thinking of hosting multiple farm visits, consider renting a port-a-potty on either a one-time or on-going basis. This expense can be included in the cost charged to a group for visiting. If bathroom facilities are limited, suggest to the teacher a place the group can stop shortly before and after visiting the farm to use restrooms (e.g., a nearby park or rest stop). It is important to have at least one bathroom available for "emergency use" during the visit.

Food and water
Groups should bring their own food for lunch and snacks. Ask the teacher to bring large garbage bags, so you won't have to dispose of extra waste (though students can be encouraged to contribute their food waste to your compost!). Be sure to provide a handwashing station. If you have drinking water available, let the teacher know. If not, it is important to tell the teacher that students must bring their own water in a water bottle.

Weather
Make sure the teacher knows what kind of weather to expect, so that s/he can make sure the students are prepared with hats, sunscreen, sweaters, raingear, etc. It is also important to have a clear "rain policy" with the teacher. Does rain cancel the trip? It is a good idea to arrange to call the teacher the night before if you need to cancel due to rain so that he can make alternate arrangements and cancel the bus.

Considerations for hosting very young children
Even children between two-and-a-half and five years old benefit from visiting farms. A visit with this age group may be less of a teaching experience and more of an opportunity for young children to develop comfort and familiarity being outdoors or around animals. The suggestions in this guide can be simplified to plan a shorter program for younger children. With this age group it is best to be flexible and keep the visit moving at a pace that seems comfortable for the group.

Considerations for hosting older children
With older kids (junior high and high school), adapt the activities as appropriate and give a more sophisticated explanation to accompany them. Older students often value the sense that they are being given "real world" or adult responsibility. As a result, many young people welcome the chance to do physical work when they visit a farm. Gleaning is an excellent practice for young adults. Their labor is needed, and they can have the sense that they are helping to make a difference.

Overnight visits
Some farms make space available to groups for overnight visits. A group that is planning on spending the night must have an adequate number of adults along to supervise and organize the group. Overnight farm visits are a great way to extend learning opportunities. You can acquaint groups with the chores that happen at night and in the morning, and let them further explore the farm. Give teachers a precise sense of what you can provide in terms of space and accommodations, and what you expect the group to bring.

Items to give away or sell
Many farms provide items such as produce or plant starts for children to take home or to the school garden or cafeteria. It is wonderful for children to be able to take something back with them to share with family or classmates. Some farms provide these items and other products from the farm for sale. If you plan to sell anything on the farm, let the teacher know this in advance, so s/he can give parents and students the option to bring money.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This guide was produced with a grant from the University of California Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education Program (SAREP). We are most grateful for their encouragement and generous support. The guide was written by Marc Lavine and edited by Betsy Bigelow-Teller.

Our grateful thanks to: California Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), James Cohea and the
International Institute for Ecological Agriculture/Our Farm CSA, Al Courchesne and Frog
Hollow Farm, Emila Heller and Green Gulch Farm, Larry Jacobs and Jacobs Farm, Sibella
Kraus, Valerie Phipps and Phipps Ranch, Bev Ransom, Judith Redmond, Dru Rivers and Full
Belly Farm, Sue Temple and Sky High Ranch.

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