We are so excited about our upcoming trip to Casey Farm! In preparation for our visit to this family-owned organic farm, we talked this week about some of the vegetables that are harvested directly from the ground, including onions, potatoes, beets, and carrots. We then read one of our favorite books, The Carrot Seed.
Inspired by this story of a child, a seed, and the power of love and optimism (and the yummy-ness of carrots, of course!) we decided to peel carrots.
Laurie taught us how to use the sharp peelers with care.
We noted that in order to peel our carrots, we needed to hone our hand-eye coordination and our fine-motor skills.
Afterward we ate our carrots (“they were so yummy!” exclaimed one student. “Yes! Yes!” replied everyone else).
Our time in the JCDSRI garden with our gardening guru, Mrs. Woods, has also sparked our curiosity about plants, farming, and how we might care for the earth. During our time with Mrs. Woods last week, we picked and tasted kale, tomatoes, and mint.
We also talked about the adamah (the earth) and how it helps us . . . and how we can help it! Next week, as we prepare for the harvest festival of Sukkot, we will spend even more time in the school garden!