Take a Field Trip to our Outdoor Classroom

field trip lunch

We were excited to welcome Rock Bridge and Lee Elementary Schools last week. Both schools have very bright students and maybe some future farmers!Students began the day with a brief orientation of the farm from our Outdoor Classroom Manager, Lori. Excitement filled the air with the kids having recently finished standardized testing. It's always fun to step out of school for a day and enjoy the May weather! There's no better way to learn about sustainable living and where our food comes from than through good old fashioned hands on work. Students received an education on the plant life cycle and how to distinguish the different parts of a plant. Additionally, everyone harvested and washed spinach and got a brief experience on food preparation to create an orange zest vinaigrette to pair with lunch. Very little was left over!

As citizens of the world, it is important for us to have an understanding of the environment. Kyle, our Urban Farm Associate, gave the kids an overview of the plant life cycle. Another goal of our outdoor experience is for the students to learn about the sources of our food, and identify the edible parts of plants. Many were shocked to find out that mustard is a green with a sharp bite, not just something that comes in a yellow bottle. Food comes from the Earth, not the grocery store! Harvesting and washing spinach might have been the favorite station of the field trip. What kid doesn't enjoy getting out of the classroom, sitting in the dirt, and (safely) handling a knife! Students were versed in the many different types of knives by local chefs, Kade and Tony, and also learned some basics of food prep.

Healthy living and eating is simple and does not need to be a chore!