The education of Dudley Elementary School kindergartners recently went beyond the walls of the building and to a local farm for a lesson in agriculture and farming.

Students visited Chase Farms as a field trip to enrich and support their classroom lessons. Kindergartners were able to watch as Chase Farms Farmer Bob Chase harvested potatoes and learn about the farming industry firsthand.

“This experience broadens awareness of the resources we have in our community and creates a hands-on learning experience by picking the potatoes out of the dirt to bring home and share with families,” said Katie Stillman, kindergarten teacher.

Mary Chase, Chase Farms farmer, understands how unique this experience may be for the littlest Fairport learners.

“When the students go out and see the potatoes being dug up, they get to see that potatoes are actually grown underground,” said Chase. “The machine digs them up and puts them on the ground and they see how they were historically collected.”

Chase also sees value in the students experiencing farm life and the science all around them.

“Farming is a big industry in New York State and they may not otherwise experience it,” said Chase. “Farming entails so much more than tending the ground; there are truckers, brokers, companies with seed and fertilizing, and more. The field trip helps to show the students that there is farming in the community. And you never know if a student will think about one day working at the farm, or even just come back because they are still curious about the farm.”

Students’ farm knowledge was fostered at Dudley both prior to and after the field trip.

“In the classroom leading up to the field trip, we spent time talking about the life cycle of the potato and what potatoes need to grow and thrive,” said Stillman. “In addition, we spent time discussing what foods plants and animals obtain from their environment.”

Lessons also included students reading, writing, drawing and building their own potato harvesters out of classroom materials.

The field trip cultivated the students’ curiosity, nourished their thirst for educational experiences and planted the seeds of science knowledge.