North Shore Farms Go Back to School With The ABC’s of Farm Education

Friendly cows at Appleton Farms in Ipswich, MA. (photo by Christian Brink)

By Christian Brink

Gordon College News Service
(This story appeared April 6, 2011, in the business section of The Salem News.)

For Appleton Farms in Ipswich, MA, class is back in session. On April 7 – 8, Erica Curry and Susie Marchand of the Shelburne Farms, Vermont, education staff will be coming down to Appleton Farms to co-host The ABC’s of Farm Education, a two-day workshop for North Shore farmers that will cover the different aspects of developing and marketing farm education programs.

This workshop originally started on Shelburne Farms, a non-profit environmental education center, in conjunction with the Farm-Based Education Association (FBEA). Due to its local success, the program is now taken around the world and taught in locations as far as England, Ontario, Canada, and now Ipswich, MA. Appleton Farms, the oldest working farm in the country, is a scheduled stop due to its membership with the FBEA.

“It’s a professional development workshop,” said Holly Hannaway, Engagement Manager for Appleton Farms and Crane Estate, “focused on people who are actively farming or farm-based educators to give them the tools to create or improve education programs and public engagement opportunities on their farm.”

While Curry and Marchand will be facilitating the workshop, it will also be taught in partnership with the Appleton Farms education staff, including Hannaway and Becky Fahey. Hannaway, who has already participated in this workshop twice at Shelburne farms, is in her fifth program season at Appleton.

“It’s for any type of farm education,” said Curry, “but a lot of farms connect specifically with schools,” which includes everything from field trips to programs for at-risk youth.

In response to high child obesity rates in the United States, said Curry, farm education is also a way to promote healthier kids. “When you offer farm education programs you’re offering an opportunity for the public and, in particular, the kids to learn more about where their food comes.” said Curry. “This then empowers them to make healthy choices.”

In these past five years, Hannaway said she’s been trying to layer on education programs that “support the work of the farm and engage people in local agriculture to help connect them to the land.” It’s also a way for North Shore farms to increase networking opportunities.

The ABC’s of Farm Education is broken down into two sections: a demonstration of hands-on activities from Shelburne’s published educational curriculum, Project Seasons, followed by group discussion, which includes strategies for marketing farm education programs and issues concerning safety.

According to Curry, each session of the workshop is specifically tailored to the needs of the farms in attendance. “We really look closely at the participants,” said Curry, “and figure out what activities will be most relevant.” This upcoming workshop will include a trip to the greenhouse and the dairy barn, soil and field activities, and also a study of natural and agricultural resources. 

Not only does farm education benefit the community, it’s also a way for farms to diversify their income. Farm education programs are a new market that can help keep local farms in existence, Curry said. The demand for these types of workshops has grown high enough in the past few years that Shelburne Farms has had to create a wait-list.

Appleton Farms has experienced a similar success, which is why the timing for this program works so well. As renovation of the LEED certified Old House on Appleton Farms nears completion, a building that dates back to 1794, Hannaway is excited for how it will provide a year-round space for classes to be held. It will also allow for an expansion in the types of programming that Appleton can offer in the future.

“We’re definitely part of a farm-based education community on the North Shore,” said Hannaway. “And that’s part of the idea with this workshop – to develop that network and support each other.”

For more information contact Holly Hannaway at 978-356-5728 x15. The workshop is $200, which includes all materials and meals.