Did you know that our school has one of the only micro farms in the state? But what exactly is a micro farm, and why do we have one?
A micro farm is just that: a small farm that sits on less than five acres of land. Micro farms are popping up in suburbs and cities across the nation as communities strive to get back to a simpler way of living and sustainability. Micro farms also help foster community and bring people together towards a common goal, helping tear down the barriers that society builds.
At Fort Mill Cooperative Preschool, we have these same goals in mind. We started our micro farm to help our students learn responsibility, emotional skills and the scientific basics of what it takes to grow their own food.
Responsibility
When a child can complete a project from start to finish, they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. They become invested in the outcome, and when the outcome is a positive one, they appreciate the work it took to get them there. Our children feel this way when they interact with the gardens and animals on our micro farm, as they pick vegetables and feed the donkeys, goats, chickens and pigs.
Emotional Skills
Our students get excited when interacting with our animals and tending to the gardens. It’s something out of the ordinary for them, and they feel a sense of pride when they bring their teacher a large, red tomato or help feed the animals. The students learn valuable emotional skills such as empathy when they develop attachments to the animals and learn to treat them with kindness and respect, as well as patience as they plant seeds and wait for them to develop.
Science Skills
Our micro farm teaches out students the basics of agriculture and biology. By planting seeds and observing them as they grow, the students learn about life cycles, plant growth, cause and effect, and nutrition. They get hands-on experience with scientific concepts and learn through interacting directly with th garden. Students learn biology through observations of our animals, specifically with the chickens, as they gather eggs and learn about the life cycle of the animal.
Our micro farm is a critical part of our school, as the Reggio approach emphasizes learning academic concepts through a hands-on approach that uses the five senses, encouraging curiosity of the world around them. Come take a tour with your kiddo and experience the mico farm for yourselves! Give us a call today at (803) 548-8123 to set up a tour of our community!