Farm Tour (2 hour)

During the two-hour farm tour students will spend some time on the farm learning about the farm animals that provide many of our daily food products.  Guides will lead groups on the tour of the farm and spend an average of 15 minutes with the chickens, cow, sheep, pig, rabbits and honeybees.  Groups will rotate through stations at each animal.  The maximum number of classes scheduled for a 2-hour farm tour is six.  Group size is limited to 20-25 in each group.  The tour is modified in subject content according to grade level.

Chickens

Students will visit inside the chicken coop in order to see the live chickens and their home, including the food, water, and nest boxes provided as proper care for the chickens.  During the visit with the chickens, students will be seated on the benches around the chicken coop.  A hen will be taken out of the chicken coop, so the students may see the comb, wattle, scales and feathers.  The various parts of the chicken will be identified and related to their function.  Students will have the opportunity to touch the hen in order to feel the feathers and the scales on the feet.  A rooster will then be taken out of the chicken coop in order to compare and contrast the differences between the rooster and the hen.  Different types of feathers, including the down feathers and the rooster’s hackle feathers, will be described.  Students will be able to touch the rooster in order to feel the feathers, scales, fighting spur, and comb.  Students will also be introduced to the products that the chickens provide for people, such as eggs and meat.  While some students go inside the coop to look at the chickens, other students will be able to check for eggs in the nest boxes and count the number of eggs laid by the hens!

*In the event of rain, the chickens will be moved to an indoor classroom.  Students will sit on benches as they learn about the chickens.  A hen and a rooster will be brought into the classroom to allow students to see and touch the birds.  While moving to the next station, the students will have an opportunity to see the inside of the chicken coop.

Cow

Students will enter the milking room of the cow barn and sit on the hay bales in order to visit the cow.  While visiting the cow, the students will learn about the inside of the cow barn, including the stanchion that helps restrain the cow while she is milked.  Students will discover what the cow eats and how the cow gets water to drink.  Students will also learn how the cow digests its food through its four-part stomach!  Students will learn where milk is produced and be able to see the cow’s udder.  Students will find out the many products that are made from milk.  They will also be able to see and feel the working milking machine in order to experience how it works.  Before leaving the cow barn, students will have the opportunity to touch the cow to feel the cow’s fur.

Sheep

Students will enter the sheep barn and sit on benches in order to learn about the sheep.  Students will be able to see the hay that feeds the resident sheep, including ewes, ram, and possibly lambs.  After an introduction to sheep, students will be given the option to help out on the farm by hand-feeding the sheep some sweet grain.  Students can also feel the wool on the sheep.  Students will learn that wool can be obtained from sheep through shearing – or giving the sheep a “haircut.”  Students will leave the sheep barn and walk to the wool room to see a demonstration of how wool is processed from carding through spinning.  Students will learn what products can be obtained from sheep, including wool and lanolin!

Pig

Students will sit on the benches arranged in a semi-circle around the pigpen in order to visit the smartest animal on the farm – the pig!  While visiting the pig, students will learn how caring for the pig is different than caring for some of the other animals on the farm.  Students will be able to see how the pig can learn to open its covered food bin and operate its own water fountain.  Students will be able to enter the pigpen in small groups in order to touch the pig and feel the pigskin and course hairs on the pig’s back and to see how the waterer and feeder work.  Students will be aided in visualizing the fast growth rate of this omnivorous animal by looking at a wooden cutout of a full-grown hog.  The students will conclude their visit with the pig by learning about the products from the pig that people use, including meat (pork, bacon, ham), the hairs as bristles for brushes, and pigskin for leather. 

*In the event of rain, the students will enter a classroom and be seated on benches in order to learn about the pig.  Students will then leave the classroom in small groups in order to enter the pigpen to touch the pig and to see how the feeder and waterer work

Rabbits

In order to learn about the rabbit, students will enter the rabbit room and sit on benches around the room.  While in the rabbit room, the students will learn about the rabbits’ home – called a hutch.  Students will see the live rabbits and how food and water are provided for the rabbits and how people care for these animals.  The rabbit will be brought around the room so the students can touch this softest animal on the farm.  Students will learn how the wool can be obtained through grooming and then processed by spinning.  In the spring and early fall, baby chicks will be seen in the brooder located inside this room as well.

Honey Bees 

In a visit to the apple orchard, students will be able to sit on benches in plain view of, but a safe distance from, the honeybee hive.  Students will learn how to properly behave near a beehive in order to care for the bees and avoid being stung and also what to do in case a honeybee does sting.  Students will see a demonstration of the tools used to open the hive and extract the honey from the honeycomb.  Students will learn about the queen, worker, and drone bees as well as the life cycle of the honeybee.  Students will also be introduced to how the honeybees communicate.  Products from the honeybees will be discussed, including wax, propolis, pollen, honey, and the location of the bees in the orchard in relation to the bees’ job of pollinating the apple blossoms in the spring.

*In the event of rain, students will enter a classroom and be seated in chairs in order to learn about the honeybees.  The students will have an opportunity to see the beehive.

Farm Tour (1.5 hour)

During the 1 ½ hour farm tour students will visit five farm animals (chickens, cow, sheep, pig, and rabbits) and spend approximately 15 minutes with each one.  Groups will rotate through stations in order to visit and learn about the animals.  Five groups is the maximum number of groups for a 1 ½ hour farm tour.  Honeybees are omitted in this shortened tour. 

Chickens

Students will visit inside the chicken coop in order to see the live chickens and their home, including the food, water, and nest boxes provided as proper care for the chickens.  During the visit with the chickens, students will be seated on the benches around the chicken coop.  A hen will be taken out of the chicken coop, so the students may see the comb, wattle, scales and feathers.  The various parts of the chicken will be identified and related to their function.  Students will have the opportunity to touch the hen in order to feel the feathers and the scales on the feet.  A rooster will then be taken out of the chicken coop in order to compare and contrast the differences between the rooster and the hen.  Different types of feathers, including the down feathers and the rooster’s hackle feathers, will be described.  Students will be able to touch the rooster in order to feel the feathers, scales, fighting spur, and comb.  Students will also be introduced to the products that the chickens provide for people, such as eggs and meat.  While some students go inside the coop to look at the chickens, other students will be able to check for eggs in the nest boxes and count the number of eggs laid by the hens!

*In the event of rain, the chickens will be moved to an indoor classroom.  Students will sit on benches as they learn about the chickens.  A hen and a rooster will be brought into the classroom to allow students to see and touch the birds.  While moving to the next station, the students will have an opportunity to see the inside of the chicken coop.

Cow

Students will enter the milking room of the cow barn and sit on the hay bales in order to visit the cow.  While visiting the cow, the students will learn about the inside of the cow barn, including the stanchion that helps restrain the cow while she is milked.  Students will discover what the cow eats and how the cow gets water to drink.  Students will also learn how the cow digests its food through its four-part stomach!  Students will learn where milk is produced and be able to see the cow’s udder.  Students will find out the many products that are made from milk.  They will also be able to see and feel the working milking machine in order to experience how it works.  Before leaving the cow barn, students will have the opportunity to touch the cow to feel the cow’s fur.

Sheep

Students will enter the sheep barn and sit on benches in order to learn about the sheep.  Students will be able to see the hay that feeds the resident sheep, including ewes, ram, and possibly lambs.  After an introduction to sheep, students will be given the option to help out on the farm by hand-feeding the sheep some sweet grain.  Students can also feel the wool on the sheep.  Students will learn that wool can be obtained from sheep through shearing – or giving the sheep a “haircut.”  Students will leave the sheep barn and walk to the wool room to see a demonstration of how wool is processed from carding through spinning.  Students will learn what products can be obtained from sheep, including wool and lanolin!

Pig

Students will sit on the benches arranged in a semi-circle around the pigpen in order to visit the smartest animal on the farm – the pig!  While visiting the pig, students will learn how caring for the pig is different than caring for some of the other animals on the farm.  Students will be able to see how the pig can learn to open its covered food bin and operate its own water fountain.  Students will be able to enter the pigpen in small groups in order to touch the pig and feel the pigskin and course hairs on the pig’s back and to see how the waterer and feeder work.  Students will be aided in visualizing the fast growth rate of this omnivorous animal by looking at a wooden cutout of a full-grown hog.  The students will conclude their visit with the pig by learning about the products from the pig that people use, including meat (pork, bacon, ham), the hairs as bristles for brushes, and pigskin for leather. 

*In the event of rain, the students will enter a classroom and be seated on benches in order to learn about the pig.  Students will then leave the classroom in small groups in order to enter the pigpen to touch the pig and to see how the feeder and waterer work.

Rabbits

In order to learn about the rabbit, students will enter the rabbit room and sit on benches around the room.  While in the rabbit room, the students will learn about the rabbits’ home – called a hutch.  Students will see the live rabbits and how food and water are provided for the rabbits and how people care for these animals.  The rabbit will be brought around the room so the students can touch this softest animal on the farm.  Students will learn how the wool can be obtained through grooming and then processed by spinning.  In the spring and early fall, baby chicks will be seen in the brooder located inside this room as well.

Farm Vocabulary