The neighboring school's Kindergarten kids spend some time at the urban homestead to learn, smell, taste and feel.
Farmer D shows a ball of cotton we grew here at the urban homestead - we give each kid a ball of cotton to take home
The kids squeal when they see the tromboncino squash
Animal petting time. I pass around one of duckies for the kids to pet
Jordanne takes another one of our ducks and goes to those in back rows
One of the highlights when the kids come over is petting Blackberry. After the kids did their share of petting her, Jordanne led her back into the enclosure the kids simultaneously started chatting "bye bye Blackberry, bye bye Blackberry, bye bye Blackberry!" So cute.
Before heading back to school the kids see if they can spot insects and butterflies in the front yard
They found some!
The kids just love visiting "the farm" as they call it
After one class was done, it was time for another. This one comprising of preschool and pre-K
No, we all aren't having some weird sneezing fit. It's the always fun smelling test we do with the kids. Before hand we pick a bunch of fragrant herbs, pass it around the kids and then
Have them crush the leaves and smell!
Then come the animals for petting time.
11 Comments: "TEACH THE CHILDREN WELL" »
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What fun! I love how receptive young kids are to the idea of farming and growing their own. And who doesn't love petting a goat?????
I love it. My home backs up to an elementary school playground. Often Iwill look out my kitchen window to see the chain link fence that separates our properties lined with school kids peering in to my backyard. The teacher is right there pointing out our garden and hens. I will go out and give a quick lesson on my chickens, and the garden etc. I'll show them the coop which is right next to the fence and answer their questions. It is always so rewarding. Some of these city kids have never seen a live chicken or tomatoes growing on the vine. While my setup pales in comparison to yours I can appreciate your efforts. Kudos to your homestead for letting the next generation get a taste of what home grown really means.
How wonderful that you are able to do this. So many kids don't get exposed to gardening, chickening, etc. For those who do, it can become a normal way of life (versus strange and abnormal). When my son was five, we were driving somewhere and all of a sudden he got real excited and said, "I just saw a house that DIDN'T have a garden!" He was astonished that one exisited:-).
That little boy in one of the photos, so gently touching the plants is a testament to the work you do with these kids. What a lovely, sweet picture!
To see people with this kind of heart for the basics is a wonderful thing. Everyone should know how to supply even the most basic needs such as food. But to see how much can be grown in such a small area is amazing. It seems we Americans have become so wasteful of our space, all because the grocery store is just down the block. We never know what is going to hapen tomorrow, so let's learn what we can do today to take care of our needs for the future.
This is what it's all about! This is wonderful! I wish you lived near me, I'd come over too! C
This is the best idea...probably one of the best things you could do with your lives. How great to introduce real living to small children...so many of them just don't really KNOW where their food comes from! As far as they know it comes from a box. Good for you! I want to go on a field trip, too!
That looks like so much fun, for the children and the big kids. Blackberry looks as though she loves the attention.
I nearly burst into tears reading this. Beautiful.
I think you guys are an inspiration. I'm homeschooling my 6 year old daughter. We just planted today outside tomato, cantalope and brocolli....we are even planting black beans. She enjoys this homeschool lesson on planting, food and knowing where food comes from. We also enjoying picking eggs from the chicken coop. She learns to count and gets good food.
I stumbled on your website an I have to tell you that I think that you are very inspirational people. I am in the military and cant really have a garden (I do sneak some tomato plants and strawberries) but when I get out I am going hog wild! I was in a remote area of Wisconsin and was amazed at what I was able to grow on my own and I am sure that my ex-neighbors do too. Thank you for teaching and taking time out for those kids, I really admire you guys. You guys have spoiled that goat rotten.