Part 2: Pathways in Agriculture

“If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it.”
- David Sobel

There’s this powerful intro on the Embodiment Podcast (a great podcast exploring what it means to be embodied, definitely worth a listen), which states that “we don’t have the luxury of living in ordinary times.” Indeed, we do not. These are extraordinary times, with extraordinary challenges. And in these times, adaptability is one of our greatest strengths.

And that’s what we’ve done with our farm-based education programming here at the Kearsarge Food Hub - adapt. In part 1 of this blog series, we explore how we could not find a candidate for year two of our farmer apprentice program, and how this reality has led us to pivot and reimagine where our energy can go to address the very real challenges we face as a community and meet people where they are.

At KFH we have a vision of offering multiple layers of farm-based education to students in order to help young people find their place in nature and in community, while growing the next generation of farmers, food system workers, and environmental stewards. We want our educational programming to reach students of all ages, generating awareness about opportunities in the local food system, and creating tangible ways to get involved.

Without Farmer Apprentices this year, our farm education team has had more space to infuse existing programs with fresh energy and bring some new programs to life, too. We now have a Farm Education Coordinator, Julie, who brings a ton of enthusiasm, experience, and great ideas for how to grow our education programming. She loves working with younger kids and connects the farm experience to the experience of being rooted in nature.

Julie is working with Co Founder and Farm Manager Pierre to create a menu of offerings for students of all ages, from K-12 in the local school districts to the homeschool community, as well as tours for curious community members who want to get a feel for farm life. Ultimately this dynamic programming will start prepping Farmer Apprentices early on.

Pierre and Julie plant some seeds with Bradford 1st Grade, Spring 2021.

When it comes to programming for students, the team is taking a curriculum approach, which is all about being intentional about how we engage with students on the farm. This means taking extra time and care to create specific plans and set goals based on the different age groups we work with, while still being flexible to embrace whatever alchemy arises from the programs. Between interacting with the students in person and being in the setting of the farm, there are always beautiful and unforeseen learning moments, especially when we let the kids lead the way with their curiosity.

In essence, KFH’s farm-based education programs are guided by this mission:

Our farm education programs are experiential, holistic, inclusive, and rooted in nature. Our farm and the surrounding forest are our classrooms. This farm-and-forest approach allows us to learn about and experience both aspects of Sweet Beet Farm and investigate how they interact. Through our programs, we foster connections to nature, connections to food, and connections to ourselves and each other.

Within this context, the farm education team has been revamping and reinvigorating KFH’s farm-based educational offerings. Let’s take a look at what’s new and exciting!

Bradford Elementary School: The 3rd-4th Grade Three Sisters Garden

Farmer Pierre harvesting salad mix with Bradford 1st graders in the Spring of 2022.

Kearsarge Food Hub has been working with the Bradford 1st Grade class for years now. It is one of our staple programs where we get to explore putting the fields to bed in the fall, planting seeds in the spring, and harvesting greens and making a big salad for their field day at the end of school.

We’re really excited to expand offerings to Bradford Elementary School 3rd graders this year with the start of the Three Sisters Garden. This project is linked to the Abenaki Seeds Project and is an opportunity to weave together knowledge of Indigenous food ways and food security, as well as gardening and growing food. The students will visit us in the farm in the fall, and we’ll come together in the spring to plant corn, beans and squash - the three sisters. What’s extra special about this program is the 3rd graders will come back to the farm in the fall as 4th graders to help with the harvest and pass the concepts they learned on to the incoming 3rd graders.

Farm & Forest Homeschool Program

KFH is preparing to pilot our new Farm & Forest Homeschool Program, geared toward homeschool families in our area, in the spring of 2023. Through this program, which will immerse homeschooled students aged approximately 6 to 11 in our working organic farm and its forested surroundings, we will explore concepts related to how to grow food, how farm and forest ecosystems function and interact, and how and why to be a steward of our environment.

The farm education team will take this winter to finalize curriculum and plans for this drop-off, multi-week program, which, after the spring pilot, will expand to full capacity. Full and/or half days will be offered, depending on the needs of our community. Each session will have a theme, such as Fall Harvest, Water & Wetlands, and Buds & Blooms, to give our time together a varied, flexible focus.

Our days will consist of a mixture of farm projects (such as tending the student garden and harvesting in the production field alongside the farm crew), environmental games and practices (such as Nature Journaling and Sit Spots), and experiencing new farm foods (such as roasting kale over the campfire).

We believe that coming together each week and participating in set group routines, challenging tasks, and novel experiences ignites in students a sense of grit, connection, teamwork, and wonder. We are really looking forward to bringing this program to fruition!

Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) with Kearsarge Regional High School

The Sweet Beet Farm team at a staff training event in the fall of 2022, from left to right: Rah, Pierre, Anna (ELO student), Julie, Jake

Starting this September, KFH is piloting Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) on the farm for the local Kearsarge Regional High School. Extended Learning Opportunities are gaining popularity as critical alternatives to classroom learning for older students. Many are yearning for hands-on experience in the community, which also serves as practical job training. Being able to get experience in different fields like farming while gaining school credit is an important opportunity for young people as they consider what life after high school might look like.

Anna Cook, who has already volunteered with us before on the farm, is our very first ELO student. She will be coming once a week through the end of the first semester to gain practical knowledge and experience on the farm in exchange for school credit.

This is a great example of the pathways we hope to create with our farm-based education for young people. We have a relationship with Anna as a volunteer, as she’s done some of her high school community service hours on the farm. This helped us identify her as a good candidate to test out ELOs with since she’s familiar with our work and setting. As with any program, it will take a little time to hone in on the process and outcomes, and we are excited to be able to offer this program to more students in years to come.

Field Trips & Farm Tours

The KFH Farm Education team is working to create opportunities for more students and community members to come to the farm for field trips and tours. The focus of these visits can range from exploring seed cycles and forest ecology for younger kids, to concepts in regenerative agriculture for older students, to simply a fun and inspirational tour for community members and visitors. A full list of offerings will be available in the coming months.

13 Homeschool students explored the farm, and surrounding forest and pond ecosystems, during a Homeschooler Education Day in the Spring of 2022.

The farm education team has been putting in a ton of work behind the scenes to make the growth of KFH’s farm education program possible. They are thinking through regulations and safety considerations, ironing out systems on the farm that make educating students there as fun, enriching, and safe as possible. We also have a plan to update farm infrastructure to accommodate more visitors, including an educational structure. The structure will provide a dedicated, shaded area for belongings, gatherings, lessons, educational materials, kitchen materials, meals, and cover from inclement weather.

We’re so excited to grow farm-based education on Sweet Beet Farm in service to our greater Kearsarge Food Hub mission - to reinvigorate our community within a restorative local food system.

Stay tuned as things are ever evolving. Sign up our our newsletter and follow us on social media to stay up to date!