Farm Discovery at Live Earth immerses children in the dynamic world of organic farming, giving them an opportunity to learn about food and nature using all five senses. Their fun and memorable experiences on the farm inspire and empower them to be stewards of our natural environment and informed participants in our food system.
I have been an LIT and Junior Staff member for the summer camp programs; my younger sisters have been campers. This farm, this program, is so important to me. It’s all about showing kids where their food comes from, how the environment affects them. What they learn here can really improve their life.
Farm discovery offers a great educational program, full of fun, hands on learning and unforgettable experiences. Farm discovery gives children the opportunity to connect with others, learn about the soil, understand plant cycles, and discovery delicious fresh organic produce; all of which, ultimately contributes to improved health outcomes.
The programs at Farm Discovery in the Pajaro Valley of California are educational, fun and an inspiration to all. Seeing real change in children's lives as they learn how to grow, harvest and eat fresh organic fruits/vegetables, be good stewards to the land and share their learnings with others is heart warming!
A wonderful place for children to learn, grow & experience the outdoors with genuine and caring people.
My name is Barb Beall, and our family has been a member of Live Earth Farm (LEF) since we moved to the Bay Area of Northern California in 2006 (I always search out an organic farm in my community upon arrival). I got involved a couple of years ago with Live Earth Farm at another level, first as a volunteer docent and helper at fund raising events, and eventually as a Board member, where I still serve. I love interacting with the kids as their eyes are opened to what real food and organic farming in nature is all about.
I learned about Farm Discovery at Live Earth about a decade ago as a member of the Live Earth Farm CSA program. In coming to events at the farm to benefit Farm Discovery, I was inspired by listening to the clear transformative power of the program for kids who took part in it. The transformative moment for me came at the end of a day when we went to the farm with my kids and some of their friends - mid-teens at the time - to hand harvest a small wheat field to get the feel for this basic human activity: turning grains into food. It was low key, but unforgettable for the kids, and for me; and when Farmer Tom asked if I would consider joining the Board of Farm Discovery, I said "yes". This was more than 6 years ago, and every year I am more impressed with how much Farm Discovery accomplishes, mostly in the local community but also reaching around the world, in helping young people learn about real food, farming, nature and themselves. What Farm Discovery does is both simple and profound, and the kids who experience the program report a kind of learning and increased appreciation for food, farming and their families and friends that is real and lasting.
A true piece of Heaven at the Farm Discovery at Live Earth. Surrounded by nature and the beautiful valley of Pajaro, I have been given a gift in my volunteer work at Farm Discovery.
They have taught the love of farming and getting your hands dirty in our beautiful Mother Earth. To understand where our food comes from and how we can make it sustainable and healthy and good for all of us. We need to leave our children a legacy, it starts here !
This organization has helped guide many children in learning how to work with others to produce sustainable organic food. Some of these children have parents who work in the fields but have not learned farming from their parents.
Farm Discovery at Liver Earth Farm provide much needed agricultural education to kids. Their events are amazing and the people are fantastic. I've attended a number of events and have thoroughly enjoyed the entertainment, the people and the food
I have been associated with Live Earth Farm Discovery Program since 2007. Since then, it has educated many students from inside and outside our community about sustainable agriculture. It also gives them the platform from which they can discover their identity within the environment and understand their role in conserving it. The LEFDP team is a hard-working and dedicated staff who are not only affecting our youth, but also the future of sustainable agriculture.
There is no better way to connect Kids to learning about our Earth, than to bringing them to a Farm. This is potent learning going on....these children will always remember the relationship they have with our planet, when they see where there food grows. Dirt Made their Lunch! Live Earth Farm Discovery Program Rocks!
My name is Tera Martin, and my family have been CSA members of Live Earth Farm since 2005. We were thrilled when a separate nonprofit entity was created--the Live Earth Farm Discovery Program--to provide engaged educational opportunities about sustainable farming, healthy eating, and nutrition. Over the years I have been so proud of and humbled by the growth of this organization, expanding its ability to serve Pajaro Valley Unified schools and persistently raising the funds needed to help cash-strapped schools have the same opportunities to benefit from this education. The passion and knowledge of the LEFDP shine. Several years ago, I made this short video about my family's experiences. Please enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcJ8BGcawbM
My Name is Doug "Dirt " Greenfield and I am currently the President of the Board of The LIVE EARTH FARM DISCOVERY PROGRAM (LEFDP) and co-manager/artist for the Banana Slug String Band. I am honored, grateful to be a part of, and inspired by, the exemplary work that the LEFDP offers to the Central California Coast Community. Families and children of all ages are given opportunities to learn through hands on life experiences about their food sources and the core principles behind organic sustainable farming practices. Many groups are now visiting the farm through LEFDP's education coordinator, Jessica Ridgeway's efforts, to reach out to schools in the Watsonville, Ca. area. LEFDP continues to expand it's efforts to raise funds to bring in those students whose schools do not have funding to engage in such a program.
The Adolescent Community of Santa Cruz Montessori, Wavecrest, has been visiting Live Earth Farm one day a week for the last three years. The students are guided through four work projects at the farm: art, farm economy, field studies, and health and wellness. The owners, education coordinator, interns, and staff work together to make the lessons and work meaningful for the students; as Maria Montessori called it, the students work with both the "head and the hand". They are also engaged in "real work", which effects their school community as well as the farm as a whole and discover their roles in the social organization as a result. They are brought closer to their food source and examine ethical principles behind farming in general. They also learn economic independence as they sell products at a school farm stand after their day at the farm. Wavecrest is one of the many groups that are now visiting the farm through LEFDP. The education coordinator, Jessica Ridgeway, has reached out to schools in the Watsonville area and raised funds to bring in those students whose schools do not have funding to engage in such a program.