Farm & Forage

Course Summary

Come explore the land and animals with me in real-time! We will learn the science behind parts of farming and foraging.

Course Description

You may not live on a farm or live amidst the same native plants as me, but this club is still for you! The purpose is not to teach you step-by-step directions of how to live off the land but to give you a glimpse into the world of agriculture. You will be surprised how much biology (big and small) there is to learn! Each week, we will be learning about an animal, plant, or processing of plant/animal products. We will be in the field in real-time. During our time together, I will teach about the topic of the day as we interact with it. Questions will be greatly encouraged.

Content Considerations

Occasionally with farming, questions pertaining to reproduction or death of an animal may arise. These will be addressed by directing the student back to the parents, unless all parents have given permission to me ahead of time to provide a concise answer.

Syllabus

Sample topics (can depend on the season/weather): Milking a cow - bacteria, nutrients Cheesemaking - culturing bacteria Wild fruits - foraging, canning, botulism Chickens - life cycle, behaviors Sourdough - using the sourdough bacteria and wild yeast Cattle - life cycle, behaviors Gardening - growth patterns, life cycles Bees - behaviors, honey formation Goats, pigs - life cycle, behaviors, care Native plants - uses of wild plants