LITTLETON, Maine – The Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District wrapped up its USDA-Farm to School grant activities recently with a field trip to Wright Farms in Littleton with Houlton second grade students.
The grant, “Mobile Kitchen Cart project,” has provided hands-on nutrition education through food and cooking using the Charlie Cart – a mobile kitchen cart that is shared between Houlton Elementary and Southside schools.
As part of the classroom cooking with students, the grant also included farm field trips to provide students an understanding of where food comes.
Jeeda Bossie (left) and Lidia McPartland use a Penetrometer” to determine soil compaction. (Courtesy of Angela Wotton)
Wright Farms is a generational potato farm that has expanded in recent years to include growing 27 varieties of pumpkins and squash for local markets. The field trip allowed second graders to learn about farm ecology through three different learning sessions.
The sessions included a soils component with NRCS field staff Phil Quint and Ethan Hill. Soils lessons were demonstrated using a simple soil and water infiltration test to show differences between tilled and field soils and using tools like a penetrometer to determine compaction. Students also used different hand tools for weeding, trying out unique tools like stirrup hoes and colinear hoes.
NRCS and Xerces pollinator and beneficial insect conservation planner Livia Raulinaitis led another session where students played games learning about pollinators by gathering pollen, looking at landscapes devoid of insect food, and netting bumblebees.
Presenter Phil Quint shows students (from left) Aaliyah Henderson, Camden Locke, Jeeda Bossie and Lidia McPartland how to sift soils.
(Courtesy of Angela Wotton)
Lastly, farm owner Nancy Wright and SASWCD provided an overview of plant parts with a walk through flower gardens to identify weeds and insects and students finishing by making “seed balls” with pumpkin seeds to plant later at home.
The field trip was a great way to expose students to on-farm diversity and establish a connection of farm to plate. The Charlie Cart will be instrumental in continuing hands-on nutrition education with students in the years to come.
Angela Wotton works at the SASWCD, providing conservation education to all landowners. She lives with her husband in Hammond and can be reached via email at angela.wotton@me.nacdnet.net
