Local Students Learn About Agriculture at Tahoe Farm Day

Camp Richardson will be turned into an agricultural center on September 16 when over 500 third and fourth graders from South Lake Tahoe take part in the 2nd Annual Tahoe Farm Day.

Tahoe Farm Day is an all day field trip where the students learn about the wide variety of regional agriculture. Over 30 volunteer presenters bring agriculture alive for students through creative, interactive activities that feature fruits, vegetables and farm animals as well as concepts of healthy eating, nutrition, and stewardship of the land.

Learning demonstrations topics will include bees, local fruit & vegetable crops, nutrition, soils, worm composting, watersheds, water use, pest management, and farm animals, including horses, goats, and chickens.

Tahoe Farm Day (TFD) is hosted by Ag in the Classroom in partnership with Tahoe Resource Conservation District, Lake Tahoe Unified School District, and the El Dorado County Farm Bureau. Tahoe Farm Day learning activities are developed to meet California state standards for third and fourth grade curriculum.

The benefits of the Farm Day experience for children are significant. Agriculture is an essential part of our daily existence - from the food we eat, the clothes we wear, to the homes we live in. It is a universal common element in all our lives. With less than 2% of Californians involved in agriculture, most of our children have little understanding of where their food, fiber, and shelter come from. As students learn about soil, cultivation, food cycles, animals, nutrition, natural resources, and stewardship of the land, they begin to understand their own connection to nature, the land, and the benefits of its healthful bounty. Agriculture also provides a real world connection to their lessons in math, science, and natural history.

Studies indicate that when children have a direct connection and understanding of how food is grown, they are more likely to try and consume a greater variety of fruits and vegetables, resulting in healthier eating habits. Experiential learning at Tahoe Farm Day can also help children feel connected the natural world around them. Having hands-on experience with farm animals, bees, the role of insects, broadens children's perception of their world. It excites the wonder and imagination; it provides children a sense of being part of the natural environment around them.