Farm-Based Education: Telling the Story of Food, Land & Farmers

Vera Simon-NobesFarm-Based Education Network and Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT

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Farm-based education is…

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Farm-based education (FBE) is any educational experience that can be had by anyone on a farm. These experiences can be formal or informal, structured or unstructured, for free or at a cost. Farm-based education programs come in a wide variety of sizes and structures. Educational farms can serve all ages and stages from infant visitors with their parent, through K to 12 grades, to university students and adults throughout their lives. Educational farms can range from having a single teacher-farmer to a staff of hundreds. Farms can be owned, leased, for-profit or not-for-profit, raising vegetables, animals, fiber, timber, and other living natural resource products.

The Barn Yard, Roxbury, VT

Someday Farm and Three FarmDorset, VT

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Who is already offering farm-based programming?

Someday Farm, East Dorset, VT

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Today’s Outline

❖ The ‘why’ of FBE

❖ The ‘what’

❖ Example programs

❖ The ‘how’

❖ Peer feedback on your ideas or dilemmas

❖ Closing

Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT

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Why farm-based education?

Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT

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Why farm-based education?

Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT

“My latest joke as a farm-based educator, which is not actually a joke, is that I tell everyone what I do is farm-based education, but that what I know inwardly is that it should be called farm-based healing. I have watched children from traumatized situations come into the farm in a completely shutdown state, shields up, nerves raw, eyes downcast, hoods over heads, and within minutes, I see them transform. They laugh, they chat, and they smile, all while digging in the dirt, arranging the flowers, cradling worms in their palms. It’s nothing I do, all I do is lead them into the garden and show them what to do, the rest happens naturally, because I believe it is how we are meant to be.”

- Barbara Sarbin, Director of Educational Programming, “Something Good in the World”, Cortland Manor, NY

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Many shapes and forms

Scoop the Poop Sip n’ Stitch Cheesemaking Class

Hidden Villa Farm, Los Altos, CA VT Grand View Farm, Washington, VT Green Mountain Girls Farm, Northfield, VT

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Many shapes and forms of FBE...

Summer Camp Gleaning On-Farm Dinners

Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT Vermont Food Bank Sandiwood Farm, Wolcott, VT

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Many shapes and forms of FBE...

Food Justice Workshops Dance and the Arts

Sandiwood Farm, Wolcott, VTSoul Fire Farm, NY

Skill Sharing Workshops

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Many shapes and forms of FBE...

Retail Festivals Family Programs Field Trips

Essential Questions

What lights the way? What is the story of the land?

What nourishes you? Why is this farm here?

Who feeds whom?

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How… Themes

A theme. This could be a ‘big idea’ that you address at the beginning, middle and end of

your visit.

Life CyclesBug’s Life

Nutrient Cycling Nutrition and Human Health

Animal Jobs on the FarmOther Big Ideas of Sustainability

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How…

When planning farm-based experiences, you may want to include some of these elements...

❏ Activities that engage all the senses

Observation ethnograms Taste testing

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When planning farm-based experiences, you may want to include some of these elements...

❏ Activities that engage all the senses❏ Real work

Harvesting Weeding Potato bug picking Animal chores Mulching

Planting garlic Harvesting potatoes Beak dipping Judging flavor, quality of a product

Others?

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How…

When planning farm-based experiences, you may want to include some of these elements...

❏ Activities that engage all the senses❏ Real work ❏ Your passion

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How…

When planning farm-based experiences, you may want to include some of these elements...

❏ Activities that engage all the senses❏ Real work ❏ Your passion❏ Elements of surprise

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How…

When planning farm-based experiences, you may want to include some of these

elements...

❏ Engage all the senses❏ Use seal work ❏ Share your passion❏ Use elements of surprise❏ Dress up❏ Be hands-on

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How…

When planning farm-based experiences, you may want to include some of these elements...

❏ Engage all the senses❏ Use seal work ❏ Share your passion❏ Use elements of surprise❏ Dress up❏ Be hands-on❏ Send visitors home with something

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How…

Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire, England

When planning farm-based experiences, you may want to include some of these elements...

❏ Engage all the senses❏ Use seal work ❏ Share your passion❏ Use elements of surprise❏ Dress up❏ Be hands-on❏ Send visitors home with something ❏ Allow for spontaneity

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How…

Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire, England

When planning farm-based experiences, you may want to include some of these elements...

❏ Engage all the senses❏ Use seal work ❏ Share your passion❏ Use elements of surprise❏ Dress up❏ Be hands-on❏ Send visitors home with something ❏ Allow for spontaneity❏ Make connections

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How…

Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire, England

Green Chimneys Farm and Wildlife Center

“The world is the classroom. For example, when we’re planting garlic, 400 bulbs, 100 foot rows. Mathematics! They think they didn’t cared for mathematics, but when there’s a practical application, they care about it!”

When planning farm-based experiences, you may want to include some of these elements...

❏ Engage all the senses❏ Use seal work ❏ Share your passion❏ Use elements of surprise❏ Dress up❏ Be hands-on❏ Send visitors home with something ❏ Allow for spontaneity❏ Make connections❏ Know your visitors

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How…

Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire, England

Green Chimneys Farm and Wildlife Center

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How…

Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire, England

Green Chimneys Farm and Wildlife Center

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How…

Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire, England

Green Chimneys Farm and Wildlife Center

“If it can be predicted, it can be prevented. If it can be prevented, it’s not an accident.”

http://www.uvm.edu/vtagritourism/

- insurance - staff training / drills- attractive nuisances

- conduct walk throughs- incident reports

- hand washing- general signage

- biosecurity

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How…

Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire, England

Green Chimneys Farm and Wildlife Center

Your ideas!

A free member network established to strengthen and support the work of educators,

farmers, and community leaders

2,747 members1,700 unique programs28 countries represented

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Farm-Based Education Network is...

Butser Ancient Farm, Hampshire, England

Green Chimneys Farm and Wildlife Center

http://www.farmbasededucation.org/

www.lifelab.org/

http://edibleschoolyard.org/

http://www.uvm.edu/vtagritourism/

http://www.soulfirefarm.com/

http://vtfeed.org/resource-library

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Resources...

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Events

Tour of Farm-Based Ed Centers in New Jersey Tentative - September 13New Jersey

ABCs of Farm-Based Education at Shelburne Farms October 16 - 18, 2016Shelburne, VT

6th Farm-Based Education National Gathering Concord, MA

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Thank you

Vera Simon-NobesFarm-Based Education Network and Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VTvera@farmbasededucation.org