Originally published in TEACH Magazine, September/October 2014 Issue
Help nurture your students’ fertile minds—literally. Many farms across Canada are open for school tours during the harvest months. While field trips can teach students about science and agriculture, they can also have connections to history and math. And even if your class can’t make it out to a field or orchard in the fall, several farms offer tours in the spring.
Andrews Farm
Milton, ON
Andrews Farm started primarily as a berry farm, but now grows other crops, including corn, wheat, soybeans, apples, and pumpkins. Students can tour the orchards or fields and learn about how food moves from the farm to their tables. They can also learn about what was growing in the area when early settlers came here. Teachers can even book a Green Energy Program tour that explains how the farm uses solar panels and windmills to conserve energy.
The Jungle Farm
Red Deer County, AB
This family farm, operating for more than a century, teaches visiting students about agriculture. Fall tours will show them the ways in which different animals prepare for winter. This tour focuses on the harvest and students will see how plants are changing. Visitors can take a walk through the forest trail while reading a farm-themed story. Teachers can choose additional activities, like touring the woodlot where they can learn about the forest’s life cycle, making jams or pickles, or learning about Alberta’s history. Tours are best suited for classes up to Grade 4, but the farm does offer tours for older students as well. Activities are tied to Alberta curriculum and learning objectives.
Maan Farms
Abbotsford, BC
Maan Farms may be known for its summer berries, but that doesn’t mean your class can’t visit during fall. The family farm offers tours that explain the science of agriculture in a way that meets curriculum expectations and keeps students engaged. Students can learn about the many uses of corn, and then barbecue some corn of their own over an open fire. The farm’s different mazes expose classes to the science of farming. And in October, visitors can check out the pumpkin patch, learn about pumpkins, and even take one home, just in time for Halloween!
Noggins Corner Farm
Greenwich, NS
Students will have the opportunity to learn about historic and current farming techniques at one of the oldest farms in Nova Scotia. Various fruits and vegetables are grown at Noggins Corner Farm. A dairy and feed store also operate on site. An hour’s drive from Halifax, this farm offers a variety of tour options for students from kindergarten to Grade 6. Some introduce young students to different fruits and vegetables. Others teach about soil and geology, Nova Scotia’s history, or show how farming technology has changed throughout the years. Tours vary by grade and connect to science, social studies, physical education, and language arts curriculum.
Pingle’s Farm Market
Hampton, ON
Pingle’s Farm has two fall tours for children in kindergarten up to Grade 3. In the Amazing Apples Tour, students will take a tractor wagon ride to the apple orchard. They can pick their own apples to bring home. The Pingle’s Pumpkin Tour has similar activities all about pumpkins. Each tour also includes lessons about bees and pollination, along with time to visit the farm animals. The farm also offers spring tours about plants and strawberries.
Springridge Farm
Milton, ON
Sweeten your science and technology classes at this fruit farm. On the Pumpkin Harvest Hot tour, students can look at different squashes and gourds and pick a pumpkin to take home. They can also visit the animals and play in the hay. The Niagara Escarpment Rock Walk offers students in Grade 4 a chance to hike up the nearby escarpment, learn about its history, and discover the three types of sedimentary rocks that make up the escarpment. Tours are best suited for kindergarten through Grade 4. The farm’s website includes information and activity sheets teachers can download and use. Primary grade teachers may want to book the Gingerbread Man Program in the late fall. Children can see how wheat is ground into flour and then make their own gingerbread cookie.
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