From our Farms is an exciting curriculum that will help bring the topics of food, nutrition, and local agriculture to life for children. It is a compilation of activities that use exploration and adventure to teach children about food, nutrition, and the farm.
- Evaluated
- Pilot Tested
Prior to curriculum development (1999), individual interviews and focus groups were done with potential collaborators Also, individual interviews were conducted with 12 parents to determine interest in a learn-at-home agriculture and nutrition education program.
Focus groups and interview data were used to develop the From Our Farms materials, which were then pilot tested. After revision, field testing, and formative evaluations, a follow-up telephone survey was administered to the parents/caregivers. Results showed behavior changes, such as an increase in buying, cooking, eating and learning about fruits and vegetable, and planting a garden.
The CD-Rom includes Adobe Acrobat PDF and Microsoft Publisher versions of the following items:
- Fruit Family Fun Pages & Activity Sheets
- Vegetable Family Fun Pages & Activity Sheets
- Dairy Cow Family Fun Pages & Activity Sheets
One of the activities in “From Our Farms” suggests creating learning boxes. These boxes are plastic containers filled with storybooks and materials listed in the binder. There is one box for each topic; fruits, vegetables, and dairy cows. The boxes contains games, puppets, audio and/or videotapes, puzzles and farm- and food-focused storybooks. - Sample recipes are included to get children involved in the preparation of each item. Family Fun Pages are also included, which contain “Food Facts” and information about food related topics or activities. The sample Activity Sheets in the guide are primarily coloring or drawing related activities. Each sheet provides an educational message that is related to diary, fruits or vegetables.
The From our Farms Web site explains what the material is about and how it is used and allows viewers to see samples of the family fun pages. While visiting the site, patrons can also submit a request for the curriculum guide. The Web site does not provide additional staff training or assistance.