Episode Details

Farm and Forest Schooling for Kids Guest Kelly McNiff, Founder, Farm and Forest Education Center at Pat's Pastured Our food purchasing choices impact both our physical health and environmental sustainability. We can empower children and families by teaching how real food is produced. Fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs and chickens that are regeneratively grown by local farms are far more nutritious and more sustainable than highly-processed food products shipped thousands of miles to distant markets. The Farm and Forest Education Center at Pat's Pastured is a local non-profit that helps students explore how good food is grown, giving them the opportunity to observe and care for farm animals and their surrounding environment. Pat's Pastured is a local Rhode Island Farm with more than 150 acres of green pasture and woodlots. Humanely-raised livestock moves through rotational pastures with plenty of space to roam free. In 2016, Kelly McNiff, who co-runs the farm with her husband, began running a summer camp in partnership with her sister, Stacy Gale. Kelly is a certified elementary teacher with over 15 years of classroom experience. She earned her undergraduate degree from Northeastern University and pursued her graduate studies at the Teton Science School in Wyoming, where she discovered her passion for place-based learning and outdoor education. Kelly brought her fourth grade students from Providence to experience hands-on learning at the farm, and she talks about her observations and the tremendous benefits to her students. The Farm and Forest Education Center now offers afterschool programs and facilitates school field trip experiences. Join us for this episode to hear more.   INFORMATION RESOURCES Visit the Farm and Forest Education Center – https://farmforesteducation.org/ Shop Pat's Pastured - https://www.patspastured.com/ Download the “Cultivating Joy and Wonder” - https://shelburnefarms.org/cultivating-joy-wonder-educating-for-sustainability-in-early-childhood-through-nature-food-and   MORE BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS   Wonder Walkers by Micha Archer   Tops & Bottoms by Janet Stevens   E-I-E-I-O: How Old MacDonald Got His Farm with a Little Help from a Henby b y July Sierra   Secrets of the Garden by Kathleen Zoehfeld   The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philomen Sturges   Living Sunlight by M. Bang and P. Chisholm   What If There Were No Bees? by Suzanne Slade   Pick, Pull, Snap! by Lola Schaeffer   Wiggling Worms at Work by Wendy Pfeffer   Errol's Garden by Gillian Hibbs   RELATED PODCASTS Forest School Learning - https://dreamvisions7radio.com/forest-school-learning/ Why Eating Organic is Crucial to the Future of the Planet - https://dreamvisions7radio.com/eating-organic-crucial-future-planet/ Kids Gardening - https://dreamvisions7radio.com/kids-gardening/ Soil Science and Bionutrition - https://dreamvisions7radio.com/soil-science-and-bionutrition/ Farm to School - https://dreamvisions7radio.com/farm-to-school/ Pesticide-Free Parks, Lawns and Gardens -