2019 Fall Farm Sprouts – Week #6 Wednesday PM

We observed some big changes on the farm this past week. The leaves have taken on bright and bold colors and falling to the ground. We’ve been awaking to frosty mornings and have felt chilly winds whip through the pastures, releasing the leaves into the air and on down to the ground. Ms. Melanie prepared a fascinating experiment to guide us in thinking deeper about what is happens to leaves in the fall. There is much to wonder about when it comes to the color changes occurring all around us. Curious how weather affects fall colors? Read more here! Farm Sprouts have also been excited about pumpkins, noting the shift in color to bright orange in contrast to the greenish hue they carried early on in the season. To sign in this week, Farm Sprouts drew pumpkins around their names, creating their very own pumpkin patches. They voted for either squirrels or chipmunks, animals who are surely busy preparing for winter as they work hard to gather and store nuts. We’re definitely observing a wide variety of changes taking place as our plants and animals at the farm prepare for winter!

For our Invitations to Play, Farm Sprouts resumed work with the farmer’s market per their request. This week we added eggs along with farm honey and produce for sale in preparation for our visit to the chicken coop. They also worked at dissecting and pounding pumpkins to spur thought about how they grow and change colors. Lastly, Farm Sprouts each chose a special stick in the forest, which they worked to make their own this week with ribbon and yarn donated to us by our families. Thank you to all who contributed!

It was then time for a harvest snack! Farm Sprouts hiked up the hill to our pear tree, located in the circle near the old barn and silo. They utilized our picker, a special harvesting tool that allows us to reach high to select the perfect piece of fruit. Farm Sprouts washed their pears and sat down to munch inside of our silo, surrounded by the history of the farm. Did you know the barn and silo were constructed in the mid-1800s? In the 1980’s the 60 acres containing the buildings were donated to MSU for the purpose of preservation and education. The remaining 100 acres are owned by the Americana Foundation, which grants MSU permission to utilize the land for education and production purposes. The Americana Foundation also provides financial support for our programs, allowing us to offer incredible educational experiences to our local community members. To learn more about our history, read here. Farm Sprouts enjoyed assorted books, including Right This Very Minute: A table-to-farm book about food and farming by Lisl H. Detlefsen, Before We Eat: From Farm to Table by Pat Brisson, and Plants Feed Me by Lizzy Rockwell and documented their thinking and discoveries in their journals. Hooray for farm to table experiences and children’s literature! Farm Sprouts know where their food comes from!

To conclude the day Farm Sprouts hiked out to our chicken coop to collect eggs and interact with our chickens. We wonder how chickens prepare for winter? We showed our gratitude for the animals, the plants, each other, and the community we’ve created before greeting our families and caregivers.

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.” – John Muir

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