LEO Students Build Connections and Harvest Fresh Vegetables on a Fall Farm-Based Learning Adventure
Written by Angevine CAP Instructor and Social Media Coordinator, Harmony Esqueda. Middle schoolers from across the Colorado front range arrived at Thorne Nature Center in Lafayette early Sunday morning eager and nervous for our first LEO (Lafayette Explore Outside) trip. Since most students did not know each other, we played quite a few silly name games to get everyone more comfortable with each other before heading over to Miller Farms’ Harvest Festival for a day of farm-based learning and fun.
As we entered the farm festival, we soaked in the views of piles of pumpkins, a very large corn maze, and families strolling about. With beautiful weather on our side, we headed straight for the veggie picking hayride where students were given 1 bag each to fill with freshly picked produce. Throughout the 2 hour hayride, we made frequent stops at various fields deep into the farm property, with the opportunity to hop off and harvest anything we wanted.
Our first stop was in the carrot field where students learned how to dig up carrots with a shovel, and then we headed over to onions, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, broccoli, winter squash, and peppers. Students seemed to have the most fun in the pumpkin patch where they stopped to have a pumpkin photoshoot and frolic among the miniature pumpkins. And of course, frost-bitten squishy veggies made for the perfect object for a quick game of Hot Potato. Toward the end of the ride, we were all tired, hot, and hungry, so we dropped off our veggie bounty at the van and began setting up lunch.
Several students pitched in to help chop veggies and assemble a sandwich buffet for us to enjoy while relaxing after some hard work. Afterwards, students were eager to explore the field of vintage airplanes, cars, and emergency capsules. They pretended to be pilots and made up stories as they ran around. Everyone was having way too much fun to leave, but alas, it was time to head back home and share our harvest with our families.
A huge thank you to the funders and supporters that make the LEO program possible, including: Enterprise Holdings Foundation, Great Outdoors Colorado, Patagonia, PeyBack Foundation, Strear Family Foundation, Thorne Nature Experience, and the Xcel Energy Foundation.
If you’re also passionate about getting students outdoors for farm-based learning and adventure, please consider making a donation or becoming a monthly donor! You’ll help invest in our students, programs, and long-term sustainability and success!
