Alachua Eco Farm’s First Field Trip by Outside School.
Sukhada devi dasi: The first grade class of the Expressions Learning Academy was our first customers for an Eco Teaching Farm field trip. The fifteen first graders arrived bright and early and Mother Akuti began by helping them all on to the truck filled with hay bales for a bouncy hayride over to the farm. She stopped briefly to talk to the students about how sugar cane syrup is produced right here on the farm.
They went on to the barn where Ramananda Raya lined up the students who wanted to feed the little bulls Rama and Nitai, and they all watched as Ramananda milked Mother Padma. For many of them, this was a first! Next off to the garden where they learned about the process of planting. There were different stations, so they rotated between sifting soil, planting kale and lettuce seeds, and planting baby lettuce.
From there, they walked to the outside kitchen to join in the process of making chapatis and everyone enjoyed fresh hot chapatis right off the griddle. They also learned how biogas from fermented food is used to cook with. Finally, the best part! Mother Akuti mixed together cow dung, straw, and dirt. She proceeded to wet it down and then stomp, dance, and jump on it. Initially, when some of the students heard that cow dung was part of the mixture…they decided it wasn’t for them. However, it proved to be too irresistible. Off with the socks, and they all lined up..once, twice, three times to help to get the cobb ready. Everybody laughed to watch the fun. They slapped together big patties for the beginning of a cob bench.
Finally, everyone gathered in the Vrinda temple to join in a song with accompanying musical instruments. When the teacher and parents announced it was time to go there was an audible “awwww” from the students. Mother Akuti’s first field trip was a tremendous success. The teacher and parents agreed they had never experienced a field trip with so many hands-on activities and planned to share this trip with their colleagues. We predict this field trip will be the first of many. An incredible way to introduce the beauty of simple living, high thinking. Thanks to Mother Akuti and her helpers, Nataka Chandrika devi dasi, Sukhada devi dasi, Erin, Ramananda Raya, and Jaya Nitai das.