Education at Keelboat Farms
As a former public school teacher and a current homeschooling father of five, education is a big part of what I do on a daily basis. One of our goals is to tap into the wealth of learning opportunities available in the farm environment and create a place where members of the community can come and learn about a variety of topics.
Goals of our learning programs
1. Get people excited about food, farming & nature
We want to develop unique programs that will make learning fun and challenge the way our guests look at the world around them. Our programs
will utilize a hands-on, “learning by doing” approach that allows guests to connect these learning experiences to their everyday lives.
2. Get people excited about learning
We want to instill a love for knowledge and encourage guests to continue exploring on their own after the program ends. We want to promote the
idea that learning can happen anywhere and give learners the skills/tools they need to make the world their classroom.
3. Build community
Sharing knowledge is an important way to develop strong ties within a community. A primary focus of our programs will be helping to strengthen
our larger community by bringing together “micro-communities” that might not otherwise have many opportunities to interact. Examples
include: senior citizens and youth, people from different neighborhoods, etc.
4. Pass on an important skill set and knowledge to future generations
The average age of a farmer today in America is 57 years of age. The future of farming depends on exposing the next generation to the
possibilities of farming. Many of these farm-based skills (self-sufficiency, problem solving, etc.) aren’t just relevant to agriculture, but will benefit
the learner in any chosen field.
Right now, we are in the brainstorming mode of designing our learning programs. It is a work in progress that will evolve based on community needs and available resources. The following chart lists some of our ideas, loosely grouped from those that can be implemented fairly easily, to those that require a more extensive investment in infrastructure, materials, etc. Our goal is to begin implementing some of these programs in the Spring of 2015, concurrent with the startup of our CSA program.,
Goals of our learning programs
1. Get people excited about food, farming & nature
We want to develop unique programs that will make learning fun and challenge the way our guests look at the world around them. Our programs
will utilize a hands-on, “learning by doing” approach that allows guests to connect these learning experiences to their everyday lives.
2. Get people excited about learning
We want to instill a love for knowledge and encourage guests to continue exploring on their own after the program ends. We want to promote the
idea that learning can happen anywhere and give learners the skills/tools they need to make the world their classroom.
3. Build community
Sharing knowledge is an important way to develop strong ties within a community. A primary focus of our programs will be helping to strengthen
our larger community by bringing together “micro-communities” that might not otherwise have many opportunities to interact. Examples
include: senior citizens and youth, people from different neighborhoods, etc.
4. Pass on an important skill set and knowledge to future generations
The average age of a farmer today in America is 57 years of age. The future of farming depends on exposing the next generation to the
possibilities of farming. Many of these farm-based skills (self-sufficiency, problem solving, etc.) aren’t just relevant to agriculture, but will benefit
the learner in any chosen field.
Right now, we are in the brainstorming mode of designing our learning programs. It is a work in progress that will evolve based on community needs and available resources. The following chart lists some of our ideas, loosely grouped from those that can be implemented fairly easily, to those that require a more extensive investment in infrastructure, materials, etc. Our goal is to begin implementing some of these programs in the Spring of 2015, concurrent with the startup of our CSA program.,
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