farm lab academy: the journey of our food
about the program
This two-part program includes an in-class presentation and field trip to a local working farm: Allan Hancock College’s Student Farm in Santa Barbara County and Petty Ranch in Ventura County!
Join SEEAG in exploring all the scientific components involved in growing our food! Through hands-on activities and lessons, students will think critically as scientists and develop a deeper appreciation for our local food system. The Farm Lab Academy Program is aligned with 3rd-grade NGSS standards and is offered free to schools.
Farm lab is growing!
Learn more about how the farm lab program is changing this school year, and how you can help us this fall with our back to school match challenge!
program mission
To build awareness of and appreciation for agriculture from farm to consumption through hands on experiential learning with an emphasis on soil science, plant science, water cycles, and entomology via classroom and field trip presentations.
program overview
Part I: Classroom Presentation
In today’s world, an astonishing number of children are unable to make the connection between the farmland surrounding them and the food on their tables. The traditional education system too often neglects the importance of agriculture and the hands and lands that cultivate the world’s food. This classroom creates a foundation in agricultural literacy and forms the first steps towards understanding the food supply chain. Consisting of five separate but equally important parts, this presentation engages students in science based learning and prepares them for an interactive farm field trip.
The 45-minute lesson includes:
Introduction to Local Agriculture & Agricultural Literacy
Soil & Plant Part Science
Top Ventura County Crops & The Farmers Who Grow Them
Shopping for Local Crops
Farm Lab Introduction
Part Two: Field trip to the Farm Lab at Petty Ranch
(Must complete part one prior to field trip)
SEEAG’s Farm Lab at Petty Ranch in Saticoy provides students with a hands-on learning experience by immersing them in a working farm. Field trip educators guide students through four stations equipped with STEM-integrated learning objectives that create a realistic understanding of the agricultural industry. This interactive three-hour excursion provides insight about current farming practices and opens students’ eyes to the science behind their food.
Introduction to the Farm Lab: Revisits classroom lesson and introduces students to Petty Ranch
The Journey of a Lemon™: walks students through the full lifecycle of a lemon, introduces agricultural practices and harvesting techniques, and teaches basic plant science and the work it takes for food to get to their tables
The Biology of Healthy Farm Soil: introduces the concept of soil as being alive, and its complex composition, including nutrients, micro-organisms, macro-organisms, and the inputs that farmers use to increase yields
Bugs: Pollinators, Pests and Beneficials: stresses the vital roles biological controls and beneficials play on farms through lessons in biology and entomology
The Lifecycle and Science of Plants: explores the roles of different types of plants and their relationship on the farm, and demonstrates the different stages of plants
Bring the Farm Lab Fun Home!
What do plants need to grow?
photosynthesis
superb soil
word search
“Helping Out the Little Guys”
Ventura County Farmers Markets
recommended reading