The Importance of Farm Field Trips

Farm visits are an essential part of telling the story of food. They introduce students to the person and profession “farmer.” They expose them to unfamiliar fruits and vegetables and reacquaint them with others in the midst of the growing process. Farms also bring school subjects alive in a tangible way. Lessons in science, math, nutrition, and history are found in the farm’s food webs, the geometrically planted rows, the farm fresh snacks, and the three sister’s plantings. Yet not all farm field trips are created equal. 

Stamp of Approval

DC Greens’ “Farm to School Approved” stamp takes the guesswork out for teachers. All sites with this stamp:

• actively engage students in hands-on learning (planting, harvesting, tasting, smelling);

• expose students to a wide variety of plant and animal species;

• serve as an extension of the classroom, rooted in educational standards;

• and draw the connection between plants on the farm and food on our plates.

If you see our stamp, you know that you’re taking your students on a rich educational field trip.

These farms have our stamp of approval:

DC Farms

Maryland Farms

Virginia farms

Farms that would like to become Farm to School Approved should contact info@dcgreens.org. If you don't currently offer regular educational programming for students but want to start, the Farm Based Educator Network has a wide variety of resources, including A Start-Up Manual for Farm Based Education Programs.