Kids on the Farm PHASE III FINAL REPORT

Transcription

1 PHASE III FINAL REPORT Prepared for the Canada-Yukon Growing Forward 2 Project Evaluation Committee Kids on the Farm A program to help cultivate the knowledge, appreciation and awareness of agriculture among Whitehorse students through experiential learning A Growers of Organic Food Yukon Project Funded by the Canada-Yukon Growing Forward 2 Agriculture Education Program Prepared by Sarah Ouellette, Program Coordinator, Kids on the Farm March 31, 2014

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS About the Kids on the Farm Program... 3 Evolution of the Kids on the Farm Program... 4 Phase I 5 Phase II 5 Phase III... 5 Phase III - Detailed Outcomes... 6 Legal Responsibilities and Liability Insurance... 6 Farmer Applications to Host Tours... 7 Farmers: Meeting, Handbook, Expectations and Feedback... 7 Farmer Payment and Phase IV Funding Request... 8 Educator Interest and the Teacher s Handbook... 9 Alternative Agriculture Education Options... 9 Conclusion 10 Phase III Budget...11 Appendix 1 - Farmer Application Appendix 2 - Farm Tour Request Form...16 Appendix 3 - Farm Tour Payment Form

3 ABOUT THE KIDS ON THE FARM PROGRAM WHAT The Kids on the Farm pilot program was initiated in January 2013 to help increase the knowledge, appreciation and awareness of agriculture among Whitehorse students and teachers (Kindergarten to Grade 12) through experiential learning on farm tours. The program is currently in its second pilot year, with hopes of becoming highly regarded, wellestablished and with core funding in place. The Kids on the Farm program facilitates school field trips to local farms by providing resources to connect teachers with farmers, resources to help farmers lead high-quality school tours and demonstrating how farm tours fit into the BC/Yukon curriculum guide. The program also provides subsidies to the participating school groups to help cover transportation costs, and remuneration to farmers to compensate them for their time preparing for, leading and cleaning up after farm tours. WHY Farm tours provide hands-on opportunities for students to learn curriculum-based information outside the classroom in subjects including Science, Social Studies, Health and Environment. Benefits of farm tours to students include: Engaging in the school curriculum while having fun. Seeing first-hand where food and fibre come from and what they look like in their natural state (e.g. carrots in the ground, milk in the goats' udders, cows on pasture, fleece on alpacas). Developing environmental awareness; learning about the natural world around them, various interactions, connections and interdependencies; and learning about how their own actions can impact the environment. An awareness of the diversity of local farming operations. Opportunities to be instructed and inspired by local farmers, and participate in activities they may not be able to do at home (e.g. sow seeds, feed animals). A greater understanding and appreciation of food and fibre production from farm to consumer, a process we all rely on every day. Making connections with food, farms and our global world when shopping at the grocery store. Being physically active in a non-traditional physical education setting. The benefits to farmers who provide school tours include: Farm and brand recognition. Building relationships with the community. 3

4 Dispelling myths about farming and food. Promoting agriculture as a career choice. Financial remuneration for their time and expertise. WHO The Kids on the Farm program is designed for all Whitehorse school children, from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The program aims to provide experiential agriculture education opportunities to a maximum number of Whitehorse students. The target for Phase IV of the Kids on the Farm program is farm tours. There are 8 farms participating in the Kids on the Farm program this year, all within approximately 60 km of downtown Whitehorse. They are: Circle D Ranch Elemental Farm Freedom Trails Grizzly Valley Farms Lendrum Ross Farm Midnight Sun Alpaca Farm Rivendell Farm Wheaton River Gardens Growers of Organic Food Yukon (GoOFY) developed the Kids on the Farm program, with funding from the Canada-Yukon Growing Forward 2 Agriculture Education Program. GoOFY is a registered not-for-profit organization based in the Yukon, which promotes organic practices and provides support, education, and advocacy about organic growing and processing. WHEN Teachers are encouraged to request a tour well in advance of their desired tour date. Spring tours can be held between May 1st and the last day of a school's academic year. Fall tours can be held between the first day of school and September 30th, Tours are booked via the Kids on the Farm Program Coordinator, Sarah Ouellette, at kidsonthefarmyukon@gmail.com or Evolution of the Kids on the Farm Program Farm tours and in-class presentations were offered through the Yukon Agricultural Association in the 1990 s (1993, 1994, 1995 and 1999) through a contract with Barbara Drury. Since that time, farms tours have been on an ad-hoc basis and have generally been booked between teachers and farmers on a word of mouth basis. Additionally, some farm tours have been funded under the Artists in the Schools program as a hands-on component to the felting courses offered. 4

5 Phase I The Kids on the Farm program started with Phase I, from January 9th to March 31st, The work completed during that phase included: Research into agricultural education programs and organizations in Canada, territorial school field trip policies and related curriculum-based prescribed learning outcomes. Identification of farms wishing to participate in the program and the collection of farm information through a survey. General program development and the creation of a program guide and farm catalogue. Identification of classes wishing to participate in the program. The development of a funding application for Phase II. A final report on program development, methodologies, etc. Phase II Phase II of the Kids on the Farm program took place April 1st to December 31st, 2013 and the outcomes included: Coordinating the Kids on the Farm pilot project, which ran from May 15 to June 15 and September 1 to 30, Presenting updates as requested by the GoOFY Board of Directors. Completion of a final report which included an evaluation of the pilot program components. Providing the GoOFY Board of Directors with a set of recommendations for moving forward with the program in future years. The development of a funding application for Phase III (to be completed based on recommendations adopted by the Board). Phase III The Kids on the Farm program completed Phase III on March 31st, 2014 and is requesting funding from the Canada-Yukon Growing Forward 2 Agriculture Education Program to continue with Phase IV from April 1st to December 31st, Work completed during Phase III of the program included: Research into the farmers' legal responsibilities as tour hosts, according to Yukon Education. Research into insurance options for farmers who do not carry liability insurance. Identification of farmers who wanted to host school tours this year, and the collection of farm information through a Farmer Application. 5

6 Hosting a Farmer Meeting to explain the details of the program, the farmers' responsibilities with regards to farm safety, and to share and generate lots of ideas on how to lead a high-quality farm tour. Responding to farmers' dissatisfaction with the proposed rate of pay by recommending an increase in the amount of paid prep time, and introducing a nominal student fee to participate in a farm tour, such that the program is less dependent on GF2 funding. Creation of a Farmer's Handbook, complete with details on how to plan and lead a high-quality farm tour for school groups. Identification of educators interested in participating in farm tours this year. Creation of a detailed Teacher's Handbook, complete with farm descriptions, ideas on how to link a farm tour to classroom activities, examples of ways farm tours meet curriculum goals, and a list of resources. Creation of a poster to promote the Kids on the Farm program in school staff rooms. Research into alternative agriculture education options for school students. Presenting updates to the GoOFY Board of Directors at monthly meetings. Completion of this Final Report and a funding application for Phase IV. Phase III - Detailed Outcomes Legal Responsibilities and Liability Insurance Jesse Jewell, director of Experiential Education, was a key contact person at Yukon Education and helped clarify the farmers' legal responsibilities as tour hosts. Liability insurance is not a Yukon Education requirement for a farm to host a school tour. Neither do farmers need to acquire criminal record checks to host tours. Ultimately, teachers are responsible for the safety and well-being of school students during farm tours. Even though farm liability insurance is not required, the Kids on the Farm program encourages farmers to obtain liability insurance in advance of hosting school groups on their farms. Alternative and affordable insurance options, such as a farm group plan or "event"-style farm liability insurance (i.e. to be acquired only for the duration of farm tours), could not be found. All farms, regardless of whether or not they have liability insurance, are welcome to apply to participate in the Kids on the Farm program. The Kids on the Farm program has not created a waiver form to protect the farmer as recommended in the Phase II Final Report because, according to Jesse Jewell, "waivers mean nothing and are a thing of the past." The farmer is expected to take reasonable safety precautions for all activities with a real or perceived risk, and cannot be absolved of following safe procedures when hosting a group on his/her farm. It is critical that a farmer discloses all real and perceived risks associated with a farm tour with the teacher, so that the teacher can obtain consent from the students' parents in advance of a tour. A farmer can do a wide variety of activities with a school group on his/her farm, so long as the teacher obtains parental consent and safe procedures are followed. Farmers are urged to NOT do any activities for which the teacher did not obtain parental consent. 6

7 Farmer Applications to Host Tours The farms that are participating in the Kids on the Farm program this year were identified through an open solicitation process, as recommended by the GF2 Project Evaluation Committee. The Farmer Application, which was to be completed by all farms who wanted to host tours, was sent to everyone on the Yukon Agricultural Association (YAA) list, as well as to the GoOFY membership. The application was open to all farmers in the Whitehorse area, regardless of their growing practices (organic or conventional). Beverly Buckway, Executive Director of the YAA, noted that most, if not all, of the farms in the Yukon Products and Services Guide are on the YAA list. She estimated 90% or more of the farms in the Guide received the Farmer Application. Eight farms applied to host tours, although the target number of participating farms was 10. In a quick anonymous survey at a GoOFY meeting on March 9th, 2014, 2 out of the 12 farmers who responded have no intention in ever participating in the Kids on the Farm program for the following reasons: Farm's production is mid-summer when kids are out of school. Not interested in showing kids around the farm, too busy. Three of the 12 farmers would consider participating in the future, but are not participating this year because: We are not at a stage where we're able to host tours right now. Currently too busy, but would consider an 'in school' visit. We would need to both be on the farm full-time, no off-farm job. One out of the 12 farmers did not know about the Kids on the Farm program and 6 out of 12 are participating this year. It is believed that 8 participating farms is a satisfactory number to move forward with Phase IV of the Kids on the Farm program. As the program grows and builds its reputation, farmer interest is expected to grow. Farmers: Meeting, Handbook, Expectations and Feedback A meeting was held on March 11th, 2014, for all farmers participating in the Kids on the Farm program, as per a recommendation in the Phase II Final Report. Eight farmers from 7 farms were present for the meeting, in addition to Matt Ball from Yukon Agriculture and Jesse Jewell from Yukon Education. The meeting included discussions on the following topics: 1. How the Kids on the Farm program works - background, tour booking process and what to discuss with the teacher in advance of the tour. 2. Safety and legal responsibilities - Jesse Jewell from Yukon Education explained the farmers' responsibilities with respect to safety and risk management on school tours. 3. How to lead an effective tour - how to plan, prepare for and lead an engaging, fun and 7

8 educational farm tour; farmers and the program coordinator generated a long list of farm activities suitable for large groups of school students. Information from the Farmer's Meeting was compiled into the Farmer's Handbook, a detailed resource for farmers to plan and prepare for their tours. It should be noted that farmers are not expected to develop lesson plans to achieve curriculum goals, which was a GF2 Project Evaluation Committee concern. Rather, many curriculum goals, or Prescribed Learning Outcomes (PLO's), can easily be achieved on a farm tour, with very little effort. Farmers have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with students and a farm tour affords valuable agricultural education. Charts demonstrating the ways in which farm tours can achieve PLO's were included in the Farmer's Handbook for the farmer to review and, at his/her discretion, include some additional activities and/or discussion topics on his/her farm tour. The farmer can also refer to these charts if the teacher brings them up during the initial conversation about the group's learning objectives, when planning the farm tour. Farmers are not expected to provide educational materials for farm tours. Feedback from farmers about the meeting was very positive. In a quick anonymous survey, all farmers agreed that the farmer application was an acceptable amount of work (i.e. not too onerous), they had enough advanced notice before the Farmer Application deadline, and the Farmer Meeting was worth their time. When asked if they were satisfied witih the proposed rate of pay for farmers leading school tours ($50/hour for the duration of the farm tour, plus 1 additional hour per tour for prep time), responses were mixed. Two out of 7 farmers were satisfied and 5 were unsatisfied and requested more paid prep time. Farmer Payment and Phase IV Funding Request At the Farmer Meeting, a suggestion was made to match the national standard of $6 to $12 per student ($10 per student was recommended) to participate in a farm tour. The farmer's pay would come entirely from this per-student fee, and most tours nationally are only 1 hour in length. This suggestion was met with concerns that it wasn't a fair way to compensate farmers and would favour shorter tours and larger groups sizes. A farmer would be at a disadvantage if a small school group wanted to tour his/her farm, or else a small class might be excluded from participating. Furthermore, it was pointed out that if students in a class of 20 (average class size that participated in farm tours in 2013) paid $10 each to go on a 3 hour tour, the farmer would earn the same amount of money as the original proposed rate of pay. In reality, farmers spend more than 1 hour per tour communicating with the teacher, planning the tour, preparing the farm yard and cleaning up after the tour and should be adequately compensated for their time. Funding for Phase IV of the Kids on the Farm program asks for farmers to be paid at a rate of $50 per hour for the duration of each tour, plus an equal number of hours for tour prep time, up to a maximum of 3 hours of prep time. In an effort to make the Kids on the Farm program less reliant on GF2 funding and more sustainable long-term, a nominal fee of $5 per student should be charged to participate in a farm tour. These fees should also be applicable to all chaperones in excess of a class's supervision needs. Three teachers were consulted about this change and said this fee would likely not become a barrier to participating. The funding request describes 8

9 the participation fees going directly to the farmer hosting a tour to help cover a portion of the farmer's wage, and the Kids on the Farm program would pay the difference. As per a recommendation in the Phase II Final Report, the Kids on the Farm program is also requesting funding in Phase IV to subsidize the schools' transportation costs for 20 tours, at a rate of 50%, to a maximum of $200 (or $175, if the funding committee wishes to reduce the transportation subsidy) per tour. It is believed that this incentive for schools to participate in a farm tour through Kids on the Farm will help increase the number of school tours, thereby building the program's reputation and visibility. In the future, if there is adequate interest and schools are able to participate without a transportation subsidy, this financial incentive for schools could be removed from the program's funding. Educator Interest and the Teacher's Handbook Educators from 4 different schools are very keen to participate in the Kids on the Farm program this year and shared names of teachers at 6 other schools who would likely be interested in participating, as well. One teacher noted that April is a great time to begin advertising the program because report cards are finished, teachers are refreshed when returning from spring break and looking for field trip opportunities for the end of the school year. A detailed Teacher's Handbook was created to explain how the Kids on the Farm program works and why it's valuable for students and teachers. It includes descriptions of the 8 participating farms with photos, lots of ideas on how to link a farm tour to classroom activities, examples of ways a farm tour can achieve curriculum goals for Kindergarten to Grade 9 students, and a list of resources and links to lesson plans. The farm descriptions (Farm Profiles) meet the recommendations from Phase II and consist of 2 pages per farm, a checklist of activities available on a farm tour, and there's a map of all the farms in the handbook as well. Furthermore, it includes information specific to farm tours, such as a packing list, information on farm safety and the teacher's detailed roles and responsibilities according to Yukon Education's Off-Site Experiential Learning Policy. The Teacher's Handbook has been printed and will be distributed to every public school's staff room, plus the Yukon Montessori School, the Yukon Home Schooler's Association and the Yukon Teachers' Association. To help promote the program even further, and in accordance with a Phase II recommendation, a poster advertising the Kids on the Farm program will be put up in each school staff room and a small memo will be left in every teacher's mailbox. It is believed that the handbook, poster and memo will effectively promote and entice teachers to participate in the Kids on the Farm program. Alternative Agriculture Education Options Across North America, there are lots of amazing agriculture education programs in the schools and many of them also facilitate out-of-the-classroom activities. In the United States, state-operated "Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) programs seek to improve student achievement by applying authentic, agricultural-based content as the context to teach core curriculum concepts in science, social studies, language arts and nutrition." The organization's mission is to "increase agricultural literacy through K-12 education." Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) Canada consists of 9 provincially-run organizations. These organizations run programs including: 9

10 school gardens, windowsill or other indoor gardens, chick hatching in the classroom, grocery store tours, in-class visits by farmers, mobile chicken and dairy classrooms, vermi-composting and farm tours. Established AITC organizations have a wealth of information and resources for teachers to link agriculture topics to the curriculum and many of these were included in the Resource pages of the Teacher's Handbook. The Living Classroom Manual was also ordered from Calypso Farm and Ecology Center in Fairbanks, Alaska. This resource "seeks to inspire teachers and students to learn experientially in the school garden and natural world through the process of active participation and direct observation. In essence, The Living Classroom Manual seeks to provide teachers with the information and resources to take children outside and to be academically productive at the same time." The Curious Gardener, a series about gardening "North of 60", is recommended in the Teacher's Handbook as a valuable resource for Whitehorse students to learn about growing food in their own backyards. A few agriculture in the classroom activities are already happening locally. Classes at Golden Horn Elementary have hatched chicks in the classroom. Hidden Valley Elementary School has planted edible berries and a few classes are growing plants under grow lights. Porter Creek Secondary School has an indoor garden and a teacher at Selkirk Elementary School plans on creating a school garden. Kids on the Farm could eventually facilitate agriculture in the classroom activities, such as those offered by other provincial organizations. Several farmers have expressed interest in going into classrooms to talk about various topics related to farming. Based on the activities already happening without a funded program, in addition to the positive feedback from a small number of teachers, there is interest in and demand for agricultural education in the schools. It is recommended that the Phase IV Final Report evaluate the viability of farm tours and consider either adding agriculture in the classroom activities to the Kids on the Farm program, or replacing farm tours with agriculture in the classroom activities. Conclusion Phase III of the Kids on the Farm program resulted in the creation of resources for farmers to plan and lead high-quality tours for school groups, and for teachers to learn about the program, its benefits, its validity with reference to the curriculum, and many examples of ways to link a farm tour to classroom activities. The implementation of Phase IV of the Kids on the Farm program is expected to result in an increase in the knowledge, appreciation and awareness of agriculture among Whitehorse students and teachers (Kindergarten to Grade 12) through experiential learning on farm tours. 10

11 Kids on the Farm - Phase III Budget Estimate Budget ($) Budget Change ($, Approved March 27) Actual hours Actual Costs ($) COSTS Coordinator Costs Miscellaneous supply costs Printing handbooks/posters Coordinator $35/hr Jan 30 hours 1,050 7 hours hours 245 Feb 30 hours 1, hours 1, hours 1,225 Mar 20 hours hrs 3, hours 3,325 Program waiver Farmer Meeting Costs $35/hr 10 6 hours 2, total hrs Teacher $50/hr 1 8 hours Catering TOTAL COSTS 6,100 6,100 6, IN KIND CONTRIBUTIONS Volunteer $35/hr - GoOFY members, directors, farmers, educators and others involved in similar projects 30 hours 30 hours 1,050 Volunteer $35/hr hours 1,540 program coordinator GoOFY administration 8% of budget 488 TOTAL IN KIND CONTRIBUTIONS 3,078 TOTAL PROJECT COSTS 9, TOTAL FUNDING 6,100 6,100 6, Total received as of March 31st, ,050 11

12 Appendix 1 Kids on the Farm Farmer Application Growers of Organic Food Yukon (GoOFY) has developed the Kids on the Farm program with funding from Growing Forward 2. The goal of the Kids on the Farm program is to faciliate school field trips to local farms by providing appropriate resources to connect teachers with farmers. Kids on the Farm is seeking up to ten farmers interested in hosting school tours on their farms between May 1st and September 30th, Funding has been secured to provide remuneration to participating farmers at a rate of $50/h for the duration of the tours, plus one additional hour per tour. Once you have applied to participate in this program, you will be supplied with farmer-specific resources to help you plan an engaging, fun and educational farm tour, with an emphasis on topics relevent to the school curriculum. In March, a meeting will be held for all participating farmers to discuss and develop their farm tour plans, with assistance from the program coordinator and a school teacher. You are strongly encouraged to attend and will be paid an honourarium of $35 per hour for your attendence. Please note that your application does not guarantee that you will be asked to provide any school tours of your farm. Each participating teacher chooses which farm to bring his/her class to based on the information provided in the answers to the questions below. You will not be required to have liability insurance, a criminal record check or any kind of waiver to participate. completed application forms to kidsonthefarmyukon@gmail.com or leave at the Yukon Made Store and let Sarah Ouellette, the program coordinator, know by or telephone at The deadline for farmer applications is February 21, Thank you for your interest! Farmer Contact Information Farm Name: Farmer(s)'s Name(s): Physical Address: Mailing Address: Address: Telephone Number: 12

13 1. Are you willing to attend a group meeting in March to discuss and develop your farm tour plan and risk management plan, thus to ensure high-quality and safe tours which cover topics relevant to the school curriculum? Yes No 2. Do you prefer to be contacted by or phone? Phone No preference 3. When are you able to provide farm tours and for how long? Check all that apply. Spring (May-June) Half day tours (1-3 hours) Any weekday Summer (August-September) Full day tours (3-5 hours) Some weekdays (please specify) Weekdays available for farm tours: 4. What activities and/or topics of discussion could your farm tour include? Please note in which month(s) these activities and/or topics could be covered during your farm tour (M - May, J - June, A - August, S - September). Bee keeping Fibre and textiles Forest ecology Compost Food chains Harvest vegetables Large farm animals (cows, horses) Plant identification Pollinators Seasonal changes Shearing/combing Poultry Milking/milk processing Small farm animals (goats, rabbits, sheep) 13

14 Soil biology Soil preparation Soil cycle Sow seeds Other: Please specify 5. Check all that apply to the facilities available to tour groups at your farm. If desired, provide additional information on a separate sheet of paper or in the body of an . Indoor washroom facilities Indoor eating area Space for easy school bus parking and turnaround Outhouse(s) Covered outdoor eating area Wheelchair accessible 6. Which grade levels are you most comfortable hosting on your farm? A list of learning outcomes from the school curriculum is provided at the back of this application for your review. Junior elementary (K to Grade 3) Senior elementary (Grades 4 to 7) Secondary (Grades 8 to 9) Senior Secondary (Grades 10 to 12) 7. How many students are you comfortable hosting on your farm? >40 8. Are you able to provide tours in French? Yes No Please keep answers to each of the following questions under 100 words. Write them on a separate sheet of paper or in the body of an . 14

15 9. Provide a brief physical description of your farm. How big is your farm? Are there different areas with different uses on your farm? 10. Provide detailed directions to your farm. 11. Briefly describe your farm's history and the evolution of your farm business. Who are the farmers and how did you get into farming? How did you select your piece of land? What was the land used for in the past? 12. Describe the crops grown and the livestock raised on your farm. Who do you sell your farm products to? 13. Describe the growing practices used on your farm. Do you use crop rotations? Do you use compost or fertilizers or other soil amendments? Do you irrigate your crops? Do you use conventional or organic practices? Are you certified organic? 14. What kind of equipment do you use on your farm and what tasks are they used for? 15. Please provide 2 to 5 high-resolution photographs of your farm. If you provide real photographs, a CD or a USB stick, these will be returned to you (clearly label and drop off at the Yukon Made Store). Feel free to photos as attachments. Thank you for completing the Kids on the Farm 2014 Farmer Application form! completed application forms to kidsonthefarmyukon@gmail.com or drop them off at the Yukon Made Store and let Sarah Ouellette, the program coordinator, know via or phone at The deadline for farmer applications is February 21,

16 Appendix 2 Kids on the Farm - Farm Tour Request Form Date: Tour number: Farm Teacher School Grade level Number of students Desired tour date Desired tour duration Desired activities Any special needs Daytime contact number Evening contact number 16

17 Appendix 3 Farm Tour Payment Form To be completed and signed by the teacher and farmer before the end of a farm tour. It is the teacher's responsibility to fax this form to the Program Coordinator, care of the Yukon Agricultural Association, within 3 business days of the farm tour. The fax number is Note to Teachers Yukon Education Policy recommends the following level of supervision on a field trip: Kindergarten: 1 adult to 5 students Grades 1-3: 1 adult to 8 students Grades 4-6: 1 adult to 10 students Grades 7-9: 1 adult to 13 students Grades 10-12: 1 adult to 15 students If your school group has any special needs, you may require more chaperones than these recommended numbers. All chaperones in excess of a group's supervision needs must pay $5 each to participate in a farm tour. To be completed by the teacher: Teacher's Name School Date No. of students No. of paying participants ($5 each) Grade Level No. of chaperones Transportation cost Signature To be completed by the farmer: Duration of farm tour Total amount of money received from teacher Signature To be completed by the Program Coordinator: School's transportation reimbursement Remuneration to the farmer 17