Rochester Woman Helps Show
Farmers How To Be Teachers

When a field trip of young school children arrives at a farm, the farmer often finds him or herself acting as a teacher to explain and educate about farm life. Twenty farmers, however, got the chance to be students again at the Shelburne Farms "Digging Deeper into Farm Education" workshop held on April 20 and 21.

The workshop’s focus was on helping these seasoned farmers improve their teaching skills for their own farm’s visitors, both young and old. Farmers from Vermont, Massachusetts, and Ontario gathered at Shelburne Farms to learn new, exciting methods of educating about farms while sharing their own experiences and successes.

Beth Kennett of Liberty Hill Farm in Rochester was one of the workshop participants. She brought knowledge gained as a farm owner who has hosted farm stays and raised the agricultural IQ of many guests.

The two-day workshop included a variety of activities, many from "Project Seasons," a collection of curriculum ideas and hands-on activities for educating children. Farmers participated in a discovery hike, made a compost cake, dressed one of their colleagues as a sheep, and even sang songs — all activities that they can bring back to their own farms.

Shelburne Farms has more than 20 years of experience in educating the public, young and old, with these techniques.

Shelburne Farms will hold a similar program, "The ABC’s of Farm Education," on Oct. 19 and 20 for farmers just beginning to explore the possibilities of opening their farm for education

Shelburne Farms is a 1400-acre working farm and National Historic Landmark