SCHOOLING ON THE FARM

            With all the brouhaha surrounding going back to school, we've suddenly had several folks contact us about hosting a farm school.  This is not something you just kneejerk into because of a pandemic so we're not offering anything formal.

             But I did think it prudent to reinforce the value of children visiting, playing, and learning here on the farm and make sure everyone knows you and your children are welcome here.  Unlike industrial farms, we don't have manure lagoons, silos, and lots of whirling motors.  This is a people-centric place.  I've never seen a child drown or become overcome with ammonia in a compost pile.

             Maintaining a child-friendly habitat is one of those nuances we don't talk much about here at Polyface, but it's as real as the additional pollinators we see and the better omega 3:omega 6 ratios we develop in our animals.  Because our kind of farming offers aesthetic and aromatic sensual romance, it's a place kids can enjoy as much as any playground.

             Normally this time of year the clear drinkable mountain stream that flows by the barn is dry.  But with all the rain we've had, it's running clean and strong like it always does in April and May.  Few things can excite a child more appropriately than building a dam in a creek.  It's only a foot deep and has an extremely rocky bottom.  I'd like to know how many dams we built in it as children and how many our own children built, then our grandchildren.  Friends (all of our customers are friends) are discovering the joys of children building dams in creeks as well and we enjoy the glowing faces on kids who have spent an hour or two splashing, building, discovering . . . learning.  This is how kids learn.

             Another fascinating learning experience is a leisurely walk around the banks of a pond.  From salamanders to frogs to dragonflies, where pond edge meets land offers biological diversity that doesn't exist anywhere else.  With proper parental supervision, children can learn lasting lessons of life and wonder poking around the edges of a pond. 

             A hike through the woods.  Enjoying the snuffles of a curious pig.  Finding wildflowers.  Spying a preying mantis on a spice bush.  Richard Louve, who wrote the iconic book Nature Deficit Disorder, explains study after developmental study showing the value of visceral ecosystem connections and partnerships.  The science is in:  few things make emotionally, mentally, and physically healthy humans like connections to our nest.  In a time of insufferable disconnects, re-connecting is one of the most valuable things we can do.

            So parents, if you're wondering what to do with your kids, bring them out to Polyface or another farm near you.  Take a picnic lunch.  You don't need lesson plans.  The curriculum is already here.  All that's missing is your presence.  And you know what you'll learn?  You'll rediscover the awe and mystery of looking at the world through your child's eyes.  What could possibly be more satisfying than that?

             What was the last nature discovery your child made?