School Programs

Learning Comes Alive at Phillies Bridge Farm

Our 65 acre farm includes 6 acres of organic vegetables and berries, an enchanting children's garden, greenhouses, an historic farmstead, farm animals, inspiring views of the Shawangunk Ridge, and a nature trail through forest and wetland.

We are committed to providing quality education programs for people of all ages.

Field Trips for Schools include lessons in:

• Science
• History
• Food, Cooking & Nutrition
• Arts and Handcrafts

Students work in small groups with our education staff and rotate through different learning stations. Students participate in hands-on activities as well as observe, ask questions, and talk about what they discover and learn at the farm. You can choose up to four of the activities listed below, or work with us to create new activities that fit into your curriculum.

Programs are available in fall and spring and generally run for 2-3 hours. Your class is welcome to stay longer and bring a picnic lunch, supplemented with fresh produce picked by your students!

The recommended fee is $6 per student. This fee is aid-able through the Ulster County BOCES Environmental Education COSER.

We can also provide assistance with starting a garden or greenhouse program at your school.

For more information, contact Martha Cheo, Education Director, (845) 256-9316

List of Activities

"Tasting Tour," Plant Parts, and Farm Ecology
Students harvest and taste crops in the field. They observe plant anatomy and discuss the function of different plant parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds). They discover that vegetables taste better when picked fresh from the earth, and discuss human nutrition, how people are a part of a farm food chain, and that eating local produce helps support our community's farming economy. This activity can also focus on how organic farming methods aim to develop a healthy farm ecosystem, by growing a diverse array of crops (plant biodiversity), using beneficial insects (predators) to control pests, and recycling nutrients (composting) to achieve soil fertility.

Greenhouse and Planting Seeds
Students go on a scavenger hunt in the greenhouse, looking for seedlings with different shapes, textures, and colors, and looking for seedlings in various stages of germination and growth. They discuss seed germination, what plants need to grow, plant life cycles, and how young plants can be like or unlike their parents. Students compare temperatures inside versus outside the greenhouse and discuss how the greenhouse affects the growth rate and life span of plants. Students have the opportunity to plant their own seed to take home.

Discovery Garden and the Secret Life of Plants
A "Treasure Hunt" in the enchanting "Discovery Garden" can be designed to focus on a variety of concepts, including: living versus non-living things; how and why living things use their senses; diversity in nature; plant life cycles; different ways plants reproduce; pollination; what affects the growth rate of plants; special plant adaptations; the many uses of plants; and cultural cropping methods such as the Native American "Three Sisters Garden." Students may also have the opportunity to plant something in the garden, do some weeding, composting, or mulching, or harvest something and prepare a healthy snack.

Rocks on the Farm
Students pick rocks from fields; discussing where the rocks came from and how rocks and soil types affect farming. Students compare different methods of moving rocks, including modern machinery and historic methods (such as oxen). Students use the rocks they picked to edge a garden bed or build a garden sculpture. They observe and discuss how rocks are used on the farm (foundation and chimney of buildings, gravel driveway, stone walls, concrete, drainage areas, etc.). Students go on a "guided imagery" adventure in which they are blindfolded and handed an interesting rock specimen. They listen to a story about how rocks are formed as they get to know their rock by feel. Afterwards students are challenged to distinguish their rock from others, learn how it was formed (igneous, sedimentary, or metamorphic) and find out where it came from.

Insects and the Farm Ecosystem
Students look for evidence of insects, including plant damage from different kinds of pests. They hunt for and identify pest and beneficial insects in different stages of their life cycles. Students can help be "biological control agents" on the farm by picking insect pests off crop plants. Students discuss insect populations and the farm ecosystem, learning how certain native and cultivated plants provide habitat for beneficial insects and how a diverse array of crops keep pest populations in check. Students may play a game that illustrates insect life cycles or pest/predator population dynamics. They can observe the bee hives (from a safe distance) and learn about the fascinating life of bees and their important role on the farm.

Farming is our History
Students learn how descendants of the original New Paltz Huguenots settled and farmed the land which is now Phillies Bridge Farm. They become one of the LeFevre/DuBois descendents who lived on the farm from the 18th to the 20th century; they read about themselves and figure out how they fit into an eight-generation family tree of the farm. Students examine primary historical documents and photographs, such as: an 1845 agricultural census showing how many acres of each type of crop were grown; a stock certificate and photograph of the Gardiner Creamery providing evidence of the area's former dairy industry; a photograph and poem about a covered bridge ("Phillies' Bridge"), which brings a place name to life and makes one think about former transportation routes; various newspaper clippings about the LeFevre/DuBois farming family, showing how farming practices have changed over the centuries; a family bible page providing a clue that one family member died from childbirth. Students observe the historic barn and house, noting features such as hand-hewn beams, rock foundations, and architectural designs that provide clues to how old the buildings are.

Apple Cider & Simple Machines
Students use an antique cider press to turn local apples into tasty cider. They compare the mechanics of a simple, hand-powered cider press to a modern day cider mill, and discuss the role of cider in American colonial history. They also taste apples from around the world, use a globe to measure how far each traveled to get to Phillies Bridge Farm, and discuss the pro's and con's of eating local apples versus those from far away. Each student also counts the seeds found in one apple, and collaborates with other students to make a graph showing the number of seeds from different apples, learning about plant reproduction and variation in nature.

Compost and Nutrient Cycles
Students gather materials to build a compost pile, discuss the process of decomposition, and how dead matter is recycled on the farm to feed living plants. They examine compost piles in various stages of decay; measure temperatures of compost piles, and discuss the role of bacteria and other soil organisms in nutrient cycling. They use finished compost to fertilize a garden bed that they plant seeds or seedlings into, discussing soil fertility and what plants need to thrive.

Farm Animals
Students visit cows, goats, sheep, chickens, and cats. They observe, feed, and pet the animals, while discussing: how the farmers care for the animals to keep them healthy; what characteristics and behaviors help the animals survive; what are their life cycles; which of their traits are inherited/not inherited; what do the animals produce and consume (what is their role on the farm). Students compare characteristics of mammals (cows, sheep, goats, and cats) versus birds (chickens). Students have the opportunity to collect eggs, and in the spring, they may be able to observe milking and/or babies nursing.

The Nature Trail - Beyond the Farm Ecosystem
Students reflect on the fact that the farm ecosystem is a human-managed ecosystem, which is part of a larger environment full of different ecosystems (forests, wetlands, fields, etc.) There are a variety of activities that students could enjoy on the nature trail, including: use your different senses to experience and compare a forest, wetland and pasture; discover interesting adaptations that enable wetland plants to survive in oxygen poor soils; learn how biodynamic farming provides important habitat for an endangered species of turtle; walk through forests of different ages and learn how local history has shaped forest succession; examine critters that dwell on the forest floor and compare nutrient cycling in the forest vs. the farm (e.g. a rotting log vs. a compost pile); find wild plants used for food or medicine and compare with cultivated crops on the farm; study a stream ecosystem, measuring physical habitat parameters and collecting aquatic organisms; find a quiet spot to write some poetry or draw a picture inspired by the forests, wetlands or pastures.

Farm Arts & Crafts
Students harvest something from the farm to creat an art or craft project, such as: dyeing wool with plants; carding, felting, spinning, and/or weaving with wool; papermaking with flower petals; seed mosaics; vegetable prints; broom-making with sorghum; dried flower crowns; gourd bowls or birdhouses; and dream catchers with grape vines and chicken feathers.

Food, Cooking and Nutrition
Students harvest fresh, organic vegetables and use them to cook up a healthy snack, learning about human nutrition, healthy food choices, and that vegetables takes better when picked fresh from the earth.