Dear Friends of Sunfield,
I just got back from wandering around the different learning sites on the farm—areas where small groups of visiting third graders along with our 3rd/4thnd annual Plough Day Jamboree. Learning stations include: making a new compost pile, plowing with a children’s plow and following John Erskine and his two draft horses as they plow one of our fields, harvesting, threshing and grinding wheat, and of course, gathering cow and sheep manure. graders are participating in our 2
Other activities included working with all of our students during their regular 45 minute farm chore class period. Tonight our 76 visiting children along with our own 21 students and 26 teachers and adult chaperones will be camping on the farm. Tomorrow the fun continues and includes watching our sheep being sheared, working with sheep fibre, harvesting and sowing grain, garlic and potatoes, and another round of farm chores.
The visiting children are from schools in Seattle, Olympia, Bellingham and Bainbridge Island. What a wonderful experience for them and their parents! It’s equally wonderful for us to be able to share this magical place and these opportunities with many children who are living an urban lifestyle. One boy, returning to the compost making with a wheelbarrow of cow manure exclaimed, “some of us even used our bare hands.”
Part of our vision is to be the farm school for this region, and today makes it clear that schools from around the Puget Sound see the importance of exposing their students to the learning opportunities available at Sunfield. Your support continues to make this possible and we thank you for that.
Next Wednesday, October 12th, we host the second in a series of Nature Walks led by Jude Rubin. You are most welcome to join us from 9:30-11:30. Jude is a biologist and the stewardship director for the Northwest Watershed Institute. She is also a Sunfield mom and Board member and if very knowledgeable about the school and the farm. Jude will lead the hike, but invites all participants to share what they know with the group. Bring your boots, curiosity and a water bottle. Join us for this special event.
Until next time, be well, enjoy the fall colors and come visit us if you’d like.
Jake Meyer
Organizational Director