Seeds of Change

This week, students engaged in a meaningful service-learning experience at Landsake’s Farm. There was a lot of work to do to help the farm prepare its fields for winter and the kids were ready to roll up their sleeves and get to it.

Students pulled irrigation drip lines and rocks from the fields, mulched rows of flower beds to protect them from harsh winter weather conditions, and filled sandbags to anchor the greenhouse and keep the garden fabric in place. Each of the farming tasks taught them valuable skills such as teamwork, responsibility, and problem-solving. The experience not only allowed students to understand agricultural practices firsthand but it also helped them further develop their relationship with nature while fostering an appreciation for the environment and stewardship. These types of service-learning experiences are designed to emphasize what it means to “give back” while offering students an opportunity to see the impact of their work in the community, fostering a sense of belonging and civic responsibility.

This week’s guest bloggers share their reflections on this experience. Enjoy!

There are so many reasons to support our local farms. One reason is that farms feed people. If we don't support and donate to farms, they won't be able to grow crops. Without fruits and vegetables, farms would have to shut down and some people might not be able to get food anymore. Another reason is that farms have fresh food. In grocery stores, for example, some of the fruits and vegetables could be from far away places, which means they are not as fresh. Buying food from a farm means you are buying fresh food.      - @Shrek_Dog

Something new that I learned from our farm experience is that you have to put cardboard over the soil in the fields. The cardboard stops the roots from growing. If you didn't put cardboard over the soil, the roots could still grow and turn into a tree in the middle of a field. You can't use plastic to do this because plastic will not hold the roots in place.      - @Angel232

Some of the ways I contributed to the jobs at the farm were pulling the drip lines in the pepper fields so that the farmers could put in new drip lines next season. I also picked up rocks from a different field so that next year's plant roots will be able to grow easier. Finally, I went to the flower field to put mulch on it to keep water in the soil and to keep the plant roots warm over the winter.     - @PeanutGuy125

I learned some new things at the farm. First, farmers have to take out the irrigation tubes and put in new ones each year. I also learned that dried leaves and pinecones in a mulch pile will decompose and produce heat that can cause a brushfire.       - @Guy-Alpha-Chad

Farming is an important job. Have you ever gone to a farm, picked a strawberry, and ate it? It's really fresh. That's because it's not shipped or doused in chemicals. Local farms naturally grow their fruits and vegetables. Also, when farmers plant seeds that grow into plants, sometimes those seeds can spread, which makes more plants grow.     - @JustinJefferson18

It's important to support our local farms so that we can keep them running. Farms provide food for our neighborhoods.     - @SnoopDog

One way that I contributed to Landsake's Farm this week was when I filled buckets of mulch and put it on top of cardboard that was laid down to protect the seeds and plants. I did not think my hands would get that dirty! I also helped fill some sandbags. We put the filled sandbags against the greenhouse to hold it down.     - @SkibidiSigmaGOAT