Schools Trips to Baltimore Farms
Real Food Farm offers a one- to two-hour outdoor educational program to pre-K through 12th grade students, college Observation activitystudents, and adults that includes a tour of the farm, a discovery activity, food sampling, and an age-appropriate work project. The Education Coordinator will tailor the visit according to each group’s goals, interests, and time frame. Possible focus topics include:
- Exploring soil and compost
- Planting and transplanting
- Learning about bees, bugs, and worms
- Understanding food sources
- Understanding food deserts
- Investigating ecosystems
- Sustaining our environment
- Learning to love vegetables
- How to become an urban farmer
If you would like to schedule a visit, please complete the Field Trip Application form. Please note that all youth visitors must have their parent or guardian complete a waiver before they arrive on the farm.
Group Size
Maximum group size is 25 students. Larger groups should contact the Education Coordinator at rffeducation@civicworks.com to make special arrangements.
Chaperones
- For PK-5th grade, there should be a minimum of one and no more than two adults for every five students.
- For 6th – 12th grade, there should be a minimum of one and no more than two adults for every ten students.
Adults include teachers, administrators, parents, and teacher aides.
What to wear/bring
A Real Food Farm field trip is an outdoor experience, rain or shine (except during severe weather such as lightning or heat advisories, in which case we will relocate into indoor spaces when possible until the conditions are safe). Visitors should dress appropriately for the weather and wear sturdy shoes for walking in grass, mud, and dirt paths. Visitors are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles, sunscreen, and bug spray with them. All visitors must sign a waiver before their visit – minors require a parent/guardian’s signature.
How to prepare your students
We’d appreciate your help preparing your students for the trip by sharing our farm’s rules with them before they arrive:
- Keep your feet on the paths to avoid trampling any plants growing in the garden beds.
- Ask permission before picking and eating any produce or using any tools.
- Leave sticks, woodchips, and rocks on the ground.
- Don’t “yuck my yum”! Try out a new food and be polite if it’s not your favorite. No saying “gross,” “yuck,” or “nasty” – you might influence someone else to not like it.
- Stay calm around insects.
- Practice active listening, be curious, and ask questions!
How to prepare your chaperones
We love working with enthusiastic chaperones who help their youth enjoy the farm! We like to remind our adult guests of a few guidelines before the trip:
- Help the youth stay safe on the farm by monitoring their movements – reminding them to stay on the paths, not throw sticks or rocks, and to be cautious when using tools.
- Please help maximize student learning by letting the youth answer the questions and allowing them to experience the activities first.
- Demonstrate enthusiasm for trying new experiences and tastes by either working alongside the youth or keeping quiet about your own likes and dislikes.
- Help us practice environmental responsibility by reminding youth to only use one drinking cup while visiting and to pick up any litter they generate.
Scheduling procedures
Field trips are generally available 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on weekdays. If you have special scheduling requests let us know and we may be able to make adjustments.
Getting to the farm
We are located on the Historic Lake Clifton High School Campus, 2801 St. Lo Drive, Baltimore, MD 21213. Visitors can park in the lot next to the three hoophouses at the front of the farm. Please visit our website at www.realfoodfarm.org/directions/ for driving directions.
Follow-up
After your visit, group leaders will be asked to complete a short online survey to provide feedback to Real Food Farm staff. We can also provide materials (reflection questions, readings, or learning evaluations) that connect with the farm-based activity for leaders to use with their group after the visit.
Student Safety
Urban soils can contain pollutants related to the land’s former use. We are continually testing for soil contamination and will keep students safe by containing farm visitors in the safest spaces. Please contact us with your questions or concerns.
All of the above information, plus the waiver forms, can be found in the following documents:
Field Trip Packet for K-12 schools
Field Trip Packet for Colleges
Waiver forms for education activities (also included in packets)
