Experience life on the Farm through hands-on tasks like harvesting, mulching, planting, pruning, seed saving, watering, and weeding. Working with our Farmers, participants will gain insights into the entire lifecycle of plants, from germination to maturity. They will learn about the specific conditions and care needed at each stage, fostering an appreciation for the patience and dedication involved in gardening and agriculture. This lesson will be customized to meet the specific needs and interests of each group and includes a culminating harvest or seed planting activity.

Students will learn about the role of seeds in the life cycle of plants. They will engage in seed collection, compare and contrast methods of seed dispersal, and start seeds in the greenhouse. Students will also observe, compare and contrast shapes, colors and textures of seeds found on the farm and use them to create mosaics.

Students will dissect flowers, learn about the process of pollination, and observe pollinators in the pollinator garden. Students will experiment with pressed print techniques using the various parts of their dissected flowers as well as other organic materials found on the farm.

Native Americans from different parts of North America use a wide range of agricultural techniques. Perhaps the best known is the inter-planting of corn, beans and squash – a trio often referred to as the “Three Sisters.” In this lesson students will explore the tale of the "Three Sisters", visit our Field of the "Three Sisters", and discover first-hand how crops can benefit one another, while providing us with a well balanced, nutritious harvest. Participants will explore our Corn, Beans and Squash crops, gaining a better understanding of the plant cycle, plant parts, and the cycling of nutrients while engaging in hands-on planting, pruning, harvesting, cooking or seed saving activities. This lesson will be customized, dependent on the season and specific needs of each group.

Students will visit our pumpkin patch and identify a pumpkin as a living plant with a life cycle. They will compare and contrast the various stages of the life cycle and sequence these stages accurately. Students will then go on a scavenger hunt, looking for plants in the various stages of the life cycle. This lesson will culminate with students picking pumpkins to bring to their classroom.

Students will engage in a medley of sensory activities as they tour the farm, including an herb scavenger hunt, harvesting and tasting garden fruits and vegetables, and exploring the pollinator garden by acting out the process of pollination as a bee.
An art making or seed starting activity can be added to this experience.

When you make a salad, do you ever think about the plant parts that you are eating? In this lesson students will harvest fruits, herbs, and/or vegetables from the farm and greenhouse to make delicious, nutritious seasonal multicultural recipes. Participants will learn about the structure and function of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruit, and seeds as they use the various plant parts to create a dish that celebrates the variety of edible plant parts found on the farm.

In this lesson, participants will engage in an exploration of herbs and create their own herb bundles. We will explore the farm and greenhouse to learn about what herbs are growing, how to identify them, and discuss their flavors, scents, and healing purposes. Students will learn how and when to harvest herbs growing on the farm as well as how to store herbs to dry and preserve them. Participants will create herb bundles inspired by seasonal offerings.

Through observation and hands-on activities, students will learn about plants. Lessons are grade appropriate (K-8) and may include activities relating to the different parts of a plant, the plant life cycle, the process of photosynthesis, the vital role plants play in the environment by producing oxygen, different types of plants, their adaptations to various habitats, and the importance of plants to humans as a source of food, medicine and materials. Activities will take place in the farm and greenhouse. This lesson will be customized to meet the specific needs and interests of each group.

In this lesson, participants will learn about the life cycle of plants in a hydroponic system and investigate the importance of nutrients for plant growth at various stages of development. Participants will discover how plants grow without soil by seed starting/transplanting/harvesting and observing plants in a hydroponic system. Lessons are grade appropriate (K-8) and will take place in the greenhouse. This lesson will be customized to meet the specific needs and interests of each group.

Students will practice self care as they learn about plant parts with a focus on leaves and petals used to make tea. Participants will work together to locate, identify, compare/contrast, and harvest specific leaves and flower petals from the greenhouse, herb and/or pollinator gardens to make tea. Participants will discuss the medicinal properties of tea leaves and will have the opportunity to create their own tea leaf bundles to take home.

We know that all living things are made up of cells and our cells carry our DNA. What is DNA? Have you ever wondered what DNA looks like? What is a clone? Are strawberries clones?
In this lesson, participants will harvest strawberries and engage in a DNA extraction lab allowing them to see DNA strands with the naked eye.
After visiting the strawberry field, or hydroponics lab, participants will use our lab materials to break apart the cell membrane of a strawberry and separate the DNA from the nucleus. Participants will also learn how strawberry plants reproduce, identify and record the various parts of a strawberry plant, and (if applicable) propagate plants to bring back to their classrooms.

Through guided, age appropriate exploration of our compost and worm bins, your students will discover and understand nature’s system for recycling nutrients. Students will learn about the roles decomposers play in processing organic matter and get hands-on experience with what happens to all of the organic “litter” in the natural world. They will have the opportunity to see worms first-hand: gaining hands-on experience in composting techniques and the ecological benefits of both compost and worms.