Field Trips 2015-2016

7011 River Road Pike, Nashville, TN | (615) 942-7169 | www.greendoorgourmet.com
Field Trips 2015-2016
Tuesday-Friday, March-October
Dear Educators,
Green Door Gourmet, a 350-acre certified Organic farm in West Nashville
(just minutes from downtown), is a vegetable, herb, and flower producer,
cooperative farm-market, event center, and agritourism destination. We are
excited to offer our school field trip program for th 2016 school year!
The following pages detail activities for preschool, elementary, middle and
high school students. We are also able to customize activities to best fit your
students’ current interests or topic of study beyond what you see here. Contact
Kate (kate@greendoorgourmet.com) for questions, ideas, and scheduling.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Kate Compton
Education Coordinator
kate@greendoorgourmet.com
(615) 423-9697
Sylvia Ganier
Owner
info@greendoorgourmet.com
(615) 942-7169
Kyle Plummer
Education Coordinator
Kyle@greendoorgourmet.com
(615) 942-7169
u-pick strawberries
Pick-Your-Own Strawberries!
Take a hayride down to the strawberry fields along the Cumberland river! Learn all
about how we grow our strawberries, then spend thirty minutes picking your own
to take home. Add on a lesson or a few while you’re there, then catch the hayride
back to our on-farm market. This activity is exclusive to the month of May. Lessons are
twenty minutes each:
Make strawberry lemonade
Plant your own strawberry to take home
Weave a strawberry basket
Paint strawberry rocks for your garden
Inquire about other lessons mentioned in this packet.
Lessons are $1.50 each per student.
Strawberries are $4 per quart picked.
*Strawberry availability is heavily dependent upon the weather. If strawberries are not available at the time of
your trip we will contact you about rescheduling, changing your activities, or a full refund.
Farmer Visits
Can’t come to us? Let us come to you!
The following activities are easily transferred to the elementary classroom:
20 minutes: (pick three per hour)
Life cycle of a vegetable
Plan a garden
Good bugs and bad bugs
Farm technology (internet and projector required)
Sundials and cardinal directions
30 minutes: (pick two per hour)
Weather station (best to have outdoor access)
Taste test
Bees to birthday candles
Market
$75/hour for up to 30 students (one GDG Farmer)
$125/hour for up to 60 students (two GDG Farmers)
Please inquire about larger groups or speaking for school assemblies.
Preschool
$6/child for 1 hour visit,
+$1/child for use of picnic area (bring your own lunch)
Our 1-hour visit includes:
-Scavenger hunt: Explore our teaching garden and learn about all the crops growing
on our farm during each season.
-Garden Bracelets: Take home a collection of seeds, petals, and leaves you find in
our garden on your wrist!
-Bug Trail Art: Learn about the bugs we have on the farm. Follow one and create your
own work of art.
-Vegetable Relay Race: Learn the names of all the different types of vegetables
we’re growing, and race friends to get them into your own basket!
-Plant a Seed to take home: Discover how to take care of a seed so it grows into a
vegetable you can eat. Plant a seed together that you can take home and care for!
-You may stay on the farm, visit our farm store and play on our playground as
long as the gates are open at no extra expense. Chaperones must be present.
k-5th Grade
Choose from the following the number of stations that corresponds with your time
restrictions and price range (see price chart for more information).
-Life Cycle of a Vegetable: Students will learn how a plant grows from seed to fruit,
and take home their very own seeded plant! Students will identify the three main
things that a plant needs to grow, and see examples of plants that have been
improperly cared for to investigate what their needs might be. We will also talk about
plants that like different types of weather—wet, dry, cold, and hot, and challenges
that come with caring for a garden. Students will pass around examples of the
vegetables we have growing on the farm at this time.
If your classroom is participating in a school garden, this is a great option! Ask about
planting in egg cartons or creating your own seed tape.
-Plan a garden: Students will help plan the next season of our Teaching Garden! We
will look at seed packets and learn how to decide which vegetables we should plant.
Students will draw out where they want to plant each crop using rows and columns,
measure and count the number of plants in each row, and draw or paste photos
from seed catalogs to design their garden. We will discuss how people have different
preferences in taste, and what they might cook with the vegetables they choose to
plant.
-Soil vs. Dirt Discovery: Classes will investigate different components of soil, and talk
about what plants need from the soil and what we can do to help. They will learn
about and see examples of cover crops, crop rotation, compost, and decomposers,
and get their hands dirty identifying soil components. They will decide which type of
soil is best for growing plants.
-Good Bugs and Bad Bugs Bookmark: Students will learn about the different insects
in the garden, and how they can help or hurt our food production. They will then
create a bookmark to take home to remember which bugs are good and bad using
fingerprinting and basic drawings.
-Farm Technology: Students will learn about the different tools we use to tackle
projects on the farm. We will see examples of tools dating all the way back to the
Native Americans. We will match tools to the problems they can help us solve and
identify tools that are natural and manmade. We’ll cover the six simple machines,
and see if we can spot them in some basic farm tools. We will hear about a problem
on the farm, and students will invent a machine to help us out!
-Garden Journal: Students will create their own journal to take home! We will talk
about how taking notes every year on our farm makes us better farmers, and what
we need to pay attention to and record. We’ll see examples of the journals we keep
for our farm. We will brainstorm ideas about what else we can write in our garden
journals!
-Sundials and Cardinal Directions: Students will learn about how farmers could tell
time before we had clocks and watches. They will create their own sundial! They’ll
learn how to read a compass, and use it to find the time on their own sundial. We’ll
discuss the differences between day and night, and the objects we can find in the
sky. We’ll see how those things sometimes can keep our sundial from working, and
how we can tell time in other ways.
-Market: Students will learn about selling produce at the market! They will predict,
compare, categorize, weigh, add, and subtract as they buy and sell produce with
each other. We will talk about the difference between goods and services, and
producers and consumers.
-Plant Prints: Students will forage around the farm for interesting shapes, textures, and
colors to make our own natural works of art! We will take a short hike to gather our
specimens – cedar? dandelions? blades of grass? herbs? – then gather to create our
masterpieces. We will place our chosen plants between two sheets of cardstock, then
use rolling pins to release the pigments, and see what shapes emerge! We will discuss
plant parts and structures, and label our prints with each.
-Weather Station: We will discuss how weather affects our farm, including rainfall and
temperature, and see examples of field logs documenting weather data. We will
take the temperature of a sunny location and a shady location, and see examples of
produce that grow well in each location. We will then talk about the rain cycle and
how much water our gardens need each week. Students will re-use a plastic water
bottle to create a rain gauge to take home!
-Taste Test: We will use all five senses to investigate one of the vegetables currently
growing on our farm. We will predict what textures and flavors we might taste in that
vegetable using sight, sound, smell, and touch. We’ll then taste several varieties of
the vegetable, and talk about what we’ve found. We’ll document our findings, which
teachers can then take back to the classroom to explore in more detail.
--Vegetable options vary by season, but generally include: kale/greens (April
– June), tomatoes (July – October), summer bounty (July – October), herbs
(ongoing), root vegetables (April – June). Please inquire about what’s available
for your trip date.
-Herb Syrups: We will use ratios to create our own herb syrups! We’ll write simple
recipes for our favorite mixes using just water, sugar, and herbs. We’ll taste our
creations in soda water, and brainstorm other experiments we could concoct at
home. We’ll talk about making healthy choices about what we eat and drink, and
some simple ways to do so.
-Bees to Birthday Candles: Students will learn all about bees, then take home their
own handmade birthday candle! From hives to honey, they will see the equipment
needed to care for our bees and harvest their honey. They will learn how bees are
born with different jobs to do, the different ways that bees communicate, and the
geometry that bees employ in building their hives. We’ll then dip cotton wicks into
melted beeswax to create our own tapered birthday candles!
-Greenhouse Tour: Students will take a tour of our greenhouse, and see how and why
we start seeds inside before transplanting them into the field. They’ll learn about how
our greenhouse is heated with geothermal energy, what makes up potting soil, how
we care for our seed starts, and seed a tray that will be transplanted into our fields!
(3rd grade + only)
-Plant & Harvest: Your group may choose to take two (or more!) trips out to our
farm to participate in a planting & harvest of a specific crop. Let us know if you’re
interested in this opportunity, and depending on the date of your trip, we can set
up this unique experience for you! This option is available for fall plantings and spring
harvest, as well as spring planting and fall harvest. (3rd grade + only, requires two
visits to the farm).
-Bunny School
Students will learn all about what it’s like to be a bunny! We’ll talk about the ways
rabbits think while acting out the things they do. We’ll sit in a circle and watch one of
our pet bunnies eat, play, and maybe even investigate us!
Elementary Age Pricing
Prices are per student.
Accompanying teachers and bus drivers are free. Green Door Gourmet requires a parent/
chaperone for every ten students. If more than 1 parent chaperone attends per every 10
students, the additional parents will be charged the same admission price as the students.
Title I schools are eligible for a $2 discount on packages of 4 stations or more.
3 Stations
(60 min.)*
4 Stations
(80 min.)*
5 Stations
(100 min.)*
6 Stations
(120 min.)*
7 Stations
(140 min.)*
**20-50 Students
$8.00
$8.50
$9.00
$9.50
$10.00
50-75 Students
75+ Students
$7.50***
$7.50
$7.00
$8.00
$7.50
$8.50
$8.00
$9.00
$8.50
Not reccomended
*Time estimates do not include arrival, check-in, introduction, or lunch—only the time spent at the
stations.
**For groups smaller than 20 students, please contact us for rates.
***Not recommended for larger groups, but we will endeavor to accommodate.
-We suggest adding on a station for every 10-20 students, depending on age, group size and
time constraint. Each station takes about 15 minutes to complete, with a 5-minute transition
period between each station.
-Each student will receive a bottle of water, and refills are available on site.
-Each parent/guardian must complete a signed liability form for their child, which we will
send to you with your instruction packet. We cannot accept any student without a signed
form.
-Depending on the amount of time you are able to spend on the farm, students may bring a
sack lunch to enjoy alfresco for $1/student more for setup and trash removal truck. (Groups
will be responsible for bagging their own trash.)
-Returning teachers receive a 10% discount for their class!
-Farm product is available at wholesale pricing for field trips (i.e. pumpkins, flowers, etc.).
Please ask for more information.
-The nature of farming is change—Green Door Gourmet reserves the right to make changes
based on safety, weather, availability, etc. The farm is an outdoor adventure, and rainy days
will be rescheduled at your earliest convenience.
5th-12th grade
$8 for 2.5-hour tour
(lunchtime use of picnic area +$1 per student)
See all aspects of our farm in a 2.5-hour tour covering:
-Soil Preparation—see how we use cover crops, compost, and tractors to prepare our
soil to grow the healthiest plants possible.
-Seeding—get inside our geothermal greenhouse and learn why we start seeds
indoors and how we care for them.
-Transplanting—see the equipment used to move seed starts out into our fields,
and the methods behind growing each particular crop and understand how we
organically fight off problems for our fields.
-Harvesting—beginning in April, we’ll be harvesting all sorts of things, and each crop
has its own technique.
-Storage—see how we process each crop for storage inside our coolers and packing
facilities.
-Packaging—produce may be destined directly for our market, packed into a CSA
box, or driven to one of Nashville’s local restaurants.
We are also able to discuss and/or create activities based on such topics as:
-farm technology
-beekeeping
-biodiversity
-photosynthesis
-heredity
-botany
-soil and water
conservation
-population growth
-environmental concerns
-current food systems
Plant & Harvest: Your group may choose to take two (or more!) trips out to our farm to
participate in planting & harvesting a specific crop. Let us know if you’re interested in
this opportunity, and depending on the date of your trip, we can set up this unique
experience for you! This option is available for fall plantings and spring harvest, as well
as spring planting and fall harvest.
Field Activities
Please inquire about what’s happening in our fields at the time of your trip! Potential
activities include:
Spring (March-June)
Field Activites
seeding in
greenhouse,
transplanting to fields,
weeding, mulching,
some harvesting
Summer (JuneOctober)
transplanting,
weeding, mulching,
harvesting
Fall (September,December)
weeding, mulching,
harvesting, removing
crops, transplanting
strawberries
Tomatoes, peppers,
eggplant, squash,
cucumbers, beans,
herbs, sweet corn,
sweet potatoes,
fall squash, onions,
potatoes, okra
Sweet potatoes, fall
squash, greens (kale,
collards, mustard,
lettuce, salad mix),
roots (carrots, beets,
radishes, turnips),
broccoli, cauliflower,
cabbage, herbs
Crops
Greens (kale,
collards, mustard,
lettuce, salad mix),
Roots (carrots, beets,
radishes, turnips),
broccoli, cauliflower,
cabbage,
strawberries, herbs,
onions, potatoes
Field activities require a minimum 2 hour commitment at $8/student for the first
two hours and $2/hour after (Title I schools receive a $2/student discount).
Farmer Visits: Can't come to us? Let us come to you! We love visiting classrooms
and speaking to groups about a wide variety of topics. Please contact us if you're
interested!
Full day Packages
Pollinator Package:
4 hours of instruction / crafts /
games / activities + lunch
$15/kid
20-50 kids (please inquire
about larger groups)
Coloring book, honey stick &
seed bombs +$5
Students will get to know the
pollinators that keep our farm
buzzing! Bees, butterflies and
beyond will be explored in
the four hours of activities
geared towards getting to
know all about pollinators.
We’ll observe pollinators
in action in our field, learn
about why and how we keep
bees, act out the drama of
a bee’s life, play games, and
create several crafts to take
home!
Garden Exploration
4 hours of instruction / crafts /
games / activities + lunch
$15/kids
20-50 kids (please inquire
about larger groups)
Coloring book, seed packet
& seed bombs +$5
Spend the day getting
to know the Green Door
teaching garden! First we’ll
make our own journals to
record the day’s notes. We’ll
then learn all about the
garden from the soil up. We’ll
act out the drama of a seed,
plant seeds to take home,
get to know the plants in
great detail, make plans for
our own dream gardens, and
finish by tasting something
freshly harvested from the
farm!
OTHER ADD-ONS TO
COMPLETE YOUR DAY
-Make a worm bin to take
home +$20 (per bin)
-Paint a flower pot and seed
your own flowers +$8/kid
-Make a bug hotel +$8/kid
Garden stepping stones +$8/
kid
-Hypertufa planters +$10/kid
-Painted rock creatures +$5
-Embroidered herb
sachets+$8/kid
-Grass-head garden gnomes
+$8/kid
-Cooking Demonstration
using farm-fresh produce:
Please inquire for seasonal
cooking options. Prices
available upon request.
Wagon-Ride Farm Tour: (October only)
Hop on our wagon and take a tour of our farm. (no more than 30 students per 30 minute
ride) $3/participant
Take home a pumpkin +$3
Wagon ride & pumpkin +$5