Community Education Program
Fall Field Trips are here!!!!!!! Click for more information on setting up a Fall Field Trip to the PEAS Farm!
The Garden City Harvest Community Education Program (CEP) offers enriching experiences for school students through a hands-on learning environment. CEP aims to foster a direct connection between agriculture and students’ everyday lives and cultivate a greater understanding of our social and ecological community.
The CEP is one component of the Missoula BEANS program (Blending Education, Agriculture, and Nutrition in Schools), along with the GCH School Gardens program, and the Missoula Farm to School program.
Missoula BEANS offers teachers and students in Missoula an opportunity to learn more about our food system, gardening and farming, and healthy eating habits both inside and outside the classroom. Â The BEANS program works within the curriculum standards of the Missoula County Public Schools, especially in the areas of science, social studies, and health enhancement.
PROGRAMS
The Garden City Harvest CEP offers guided field trips to the PEAS Farm for elementary, middle, or high school classes in the Fall and the Spring. Summer field trips are also available upon special arrangement with our Community Education Director.
LITTLE PEAS SUMMER CAMP
We also offer Farm Camps in the summer! Each camp is a day camp meeting Monday through Thursday of one week in June, July, and August. Little PEAS Camp is a great way for your children learn more about sustainable agriculture, have fun, and get to know the PEAS Farm on a more in depth level! More information will be available on Farm Camps in the Spring of 2009.
SUMMER FIELD TRIPS
Summer Field Trips are available through special arrangement with our Community Education Director. Summer is the most exciting and diverse time at the PEAS Farm and we encourage all groups to come and visit us! Particular lessons can be taught or groups can enjoy a general tour or help with the day's farm chores.
SPRING & FALL FIELD TRIPS
Garden City Harvest offers Spring and Fall field trips to the PEAS Farm for elementary, middle, and high school classes in April, May, and June in the Spring and September and October in the Fall each year. In addition to seeing the farm up close and observing what is growing, students will have the chance to engage in activities and lessons in a fun-filled, outdoor learning environment. Teachers are encouraged to request topics to compliment what students are learning in the classroom.
Contact Jason Mandala at (406)239-5524 or gch_education@yahoo.com for inquiries or to schedule at field trip!
We welcome
scheduled field trips to the PEAS Farm in the Spring, Summer, and Fall Monday through Thursday, 9:00am to 3:00
pm. Click on a link below to find out more about our field trips!
What is the
Garden City Harvest EVST/PEAS Farm?
The Program in Ecological Agriculture and Society (PEAS)
was created in 1996, and is run on a 9 1/2 acre farm
in Missoula's Rattlesnake Valley. The PEAS Farm is
run through a partnership between the University of Montana
Environmental Studies Program and Garden City Harvest (GCH),
a nonprofit organization in Missoula. Since 1996, the farm
has grown more than 100,000 lbs of healthy produce for the
Missoula Food Bank. The farm is run in accordance with organic
standards and with sustainability and educational opportunities
for ecologically conscious food production as a goal.
Why take a
field trip to the PEAS Farm?
Seeing how food is grown first-hand gives students a direct connection between agriculture and their everyday lives, and gets kids excited about healthy, nutritious food!
Visits to the PEAS Farm provide enriching experiences for students through
educational lessons and participation in everyday farm activities.
Using the PEAS Farm as an outdoor classroom can allow teachers and students to integrate concepts of science, math, art, history, and health in a real life situation. Students can learn about many topics firsthand, such as life cycles, farm animals, and ecology as well as local agricultural
techniques and history. These concepts are conveyed
through hands-on tours and lessons such as how to make compost, the agricultural
history of the Rattlesnake Valley, or discovering how large
one acre is.
Limited funding is available for busing for MCPS classes.
How long will the field
trip need to be?
The CEP offers morning and afternoon blocks for field trips. This year we are offering two options for field trips:
Option #1: 1 to 1.5 hour field trip. Includes a tour of the farm and time for a short lesson and/or game relating to the happenings at the farm and your specific needs/requests.
Option #2: Half day field trip (2.5 to 3 hours). This is a new option for a longer, fuller experience at the farm. Field trip will consist of a brief introduction/tour of the farm after which students will be split into three groups, each led by a farm educator teaching about a different topic on the farm. These "stations" will last around 1/2 hour each and all students will experience all three stations. Station topics are season specific but there are a wide range of options for teachers to choose from to fit your curriculum needs.
Who
will lead and teach the field trips?
During the Summer our Community Education Director will lead field trips and farm camps. In the Spring and the Fall both the Community Education Director and students from the University of Montana will lead field
trips on the farm. These University students have previously worked on
the farm, have a background in teaching, and a desire to educate
children about how agriculture relates to their everyday lives.
What
will my students be learning?
The CEP offers a variety of agriculture-related lessons and activities tailored to the needs of each group. For example, a teacher may request a specific topic, such as plant life cycles, insects, the harvest, or history. You may also choose to focus on curriculum-based objectives, such as practicing observation skills, and let us choose a lesson that ties into the farm. These
lessons vary to reflect your needs and students' ages.
Our goal is to compliment current topics you are teaching
in your classroom and encourage inquiry-based learning.
What's
expected of the teacher?
Teachers and chaperones are encouraged to participate throughout the field
trip and enjoy the visit. Your main responsibilities include:
- Keeping a total count of the students in your group
- Allowing students to make discoveries on their own
- Help facilitate proper behavior of students
- Being alert to potential hazards on the farm
- Having fun!
Can the farm field
trip tie into what we studying and learning in class?
Yes, we would like the trip to be an integrative part of your curriculum needs, reflecting
current and future classroom topics.
Please contact the Community Education Director with ideas regarding classroom curriculum
connections.
What
if the weather is bad?
We will expect to have the field trip rain or shine. Please
contact the Community Education Director by 8:00 am the day of the
trip if you will be unable to attend.
What
do we need to wear and bring?
We will be outdoors for the duration of the field trip. Please have students
and chaperones arrive prepared for the weather --waterproof
boots, long pants, warm jacket, and dress in layers! Please
have all students bring a water bottle and wear sunscreen
if it's sunny!
Will
we be working?
Because of the great education and service learning potential,
we encourage participation in farm work if appropriate. Students
may help with the harvest of vegetables, feeding of animals,
turning compost, etc.
Will
there need to be chaperones in addition to teachers?
During the field trip we may break off into small groups
of 5-10 students. During this time an adult with each group
is recommended but not necessary. Chaperones/parents are welcome
but if it is not possible to arrange for a chaperone, your
group is still welcome.
How
many times can we visit?
We encourage multiple visits to the farm as it is a constantly changing place, but this is subject
to availability.
Is the farm safe
and wheelchair accessible?
Unfortunately, the farm is not wheelchair accessible, but we welcome all
students including children with special needs. We have taken
all necessary precautions to ensure safety during field trip
visits, however the PEAS farm is a working farm. This means
there may be tools, equipment and other hazards present. The
farm is certainly not a dangerous place, but keeping a careful
eye on students is important.
Is
a snack provided?
A snack is not provided, however we can arrange time for
a snack during the visit. Usually, we do try to have some time to try out a few bites of freshly picked veggies though!
Is
there parking?
There is parking, and room for a school bus and multiple
cars at the farm. Please notify us before the trip of approximately
how many cars/buses you anticipate so that we can ensure enough
parking space is available.
Where
is the farm?
The PEAS Farm is located at 3010 Duncan Drive in the Rattlesnake. Follow Greenough Drive (which turns into Duncan) approximately 1 1/2 miles north from the I-90 underpass. The farm is on the right just past Mountain View Drive.
How
do I schedule a trip?
Please contact the Garden City Harvest Community Education Director,
Jason Mandala at 406-239-5524 or at GCH_education@yahoo.com. Space is limited so schedule
as early as possible! |
