Learning Corner
The Perfect Outdoor Classroom—The Garden at Spring Brook Farm!
By Caitlin Eastman‚ Assistant Educator & Gardener
I came to the Farms for City Kids Program after having taught in the public school system for a number of years. I was unsure of what it would be like to leave the comforts of my classroom and the teaching tools that I had become so accustomed to. However‚ when I got to the Farm‚ I found myself in the most well-equipped classroom I had ever taught in… the Spring Brook Farm garden! I have traded in my traditional lesson plans for a simple canvas bag with a watch‚ a bottle of water‚ some gardening tools‚ seedlings and a beat up copy of Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.
Each day new lessons unfold for us in the garden‚ which the children guide with their discussions and observations. And right there with us‚ Mother Nature provides those perfect inspirations that make all of us appreciate just how important even the smallest miracles are to our environment. There is the bee that will gently land on someone’s head causing a minor uproar and reminding me to cover the topic of pollination. There is the friendly worm that will wriggle its way out from under the tangled roots of our plants and remind me to teach about soil composition‚ the benefits of composting and the natural symbiotic relationships that we rely on to help our garden stay healthy and productive. And there is Dr. Seuss who is always there to help facilitate discussions about environmental awareness and the plants themselves that present innumerable lessons in biology.
Perhaps the most important lesson that comes out of the garden is at the very end of the day when we harvest our vegetables for dinner. As the light wanes‚ and with the events of the day on their minds‚ the kids fundamentally connect the farm raised produce to the meal they are about to eat. They start to realize that food does not come out of a plastic wrapper‚ but is actually provided by the gardens and farms around the world and the hard working farmers that helped to grow the vegetables‚ grains‚ legumes‚ spices and fruits that make up a healthy diet.
So‚ for me‚ there is nothing more gratifying than watching the children‚ who on Monday begrudgingly gave up their sugar-coated cardboard snacks‚ encourage their friends to try the delicious‚ farm–fresh salad that they made straight from the garden with their own hands.
The outdoor classrooms at Farms for City Kids provide nourishment for children‚ as each begins to see the world beyond the neighborhood they know…beyond the paved streets and the supermarket…to seamlessly connect to the gifts of the natural world.
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