Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
The driving force behind agriculture
A mobile science lab visits East Coventry while a “Garden on Wheelz” program is started in Spring City
Two local programs are making agriculture and garden education mobile.
Students conducted science experiments on a trailer at East Coventry Elementary School while “Garden on Wheelz” carts make growing healthy food easier for Spring City residents.
Students had farming down to a science with the help of a Pennsylvania Farm Bureau mobile agriculture lab last week. The science lab on wheels was stationed at East Coventry Elementary School where children did several experiments and activities involving farm education.
“Everything we use in life originates on a farm,” said Anne McCausland, a science teacher for the state farm bureau.
McCausland travels throughout South Eastern Pennsylvania on a trailer to teach students about seeds from the ground up. The mobile agricul-
“I just think it’s a great way to bring the community together and teach people about gardening.”
ture lab program was created in 2003 and there are now six trailers that travel across the state to mobilize agricultural education. The program is made possible through The Pennsylvania Friends of Agriculture Foundation, which is a grassroots organization supported by the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.
“It really develops an appreciation for farms and agriculture,” said Jo-an Rechtin, the Owen J. Roberts community engagement specialist.
Kindergartners learned about how all the different components of pizza come from agricultural practices. A puppet show involving a chicken, horse and sheep helped children learn where ingredients originated from. By the end of the class students were chanting “Pizza comes from the farm.” McCausland explained to the kindergarten students that wheat seeds become the flour, tomatoes become the sauce and cows create the milk that makes the cheese.
The farm to pizza activity was just one of many experienced on the mobile lab. Depending on their grade level, students did several other experiments such as making soybean crayons, producing milk from glue and learning about biodegradable resources.
Sixth graders did an experiment to compare two different types of packing foam, petroleum and corn. The purpose was to figure out which foam was biodegradable and better for the environment.
“This is probably one of my favorite lessons,” McCausland said.
She said she likes that students learn about renewable sources. Sometimes children don’t understand that when we throw items away they eventually end up in landfills, she said.
“We have a lot of people on our planet and we all produce a lot of trash,” she explained to the students.
McCausland also taught students that biodegradable items break down and become part of the ground system therefore decreasing the amount of space used in landfills. Students learned that corn packing foam was best for the environment.
“You can make things from corn other than food,” McCausland said.
The lab was able to come to the school through fundraising efforts of the Parent Teacher Association at East Coventry Elementary School. Geralyn McErlean, a parent in the association, said the lab came to the school for the first time last year.
“The kids loved it and the teachers loved it,” she said.
For more information about the mobile agriculture lab visit the website at www.pfb.com/mobileag-labs.
East Coventry Elementary students aren’t the only ones learning about food while being mobile. Spring City residents will soon be gardening on wheels.
At the Spring City Public Library, “Garden on Wheelz” carts were on display during their Arbor Day Celebration on April 25. Library Director Louis Shupp got the idea for the mobile carts from the radio show “You Bet Your Garden.” While listening to the show, Shupp heard someone talking about the difficulties with traditional gardening.
“He realized gardening is so much harder when you can’t bend,” she said.
The garden carts can be adjusted to make them taller or shorter which makes it easier for seniors, people in wheelchairs and those with other handicaps, Shupp said. She also said the carts are easy to trans- port throughout the library and possibly downtown in the future.
“I just think it’s a great way to bring the community together and teach people about gardening,” she said. “Hopefully, this is the start of larger community gardens in the future.”
Shupp said seeds will start to be grown in the garden carts later this month. She said area residents will use the carts as well as children in a summer reading program at the library. The carts will be used to grow herbs such as basil, oregano and parsley. Vegetables like tomatoes, pepper and squash will also be planted.
Shupp said the plan is to grow herbs and vegetables for their Farm to Table event on Sept. 11. The event includes a chef preparing an entire meal from locally grown food. She said more details will be available soon about the event.
For more about the Spring City Public Library and the “Garden on Wheelz” carts, visit the Facebook at www.facebook.com/springcitypubliclibrary or call 610-948-4130.
The Mercury is engaged in a long-term effort, Fit for Life, designed to promote healthy living and inspired by recent health studies which indicate an alarming increase in obesity and overweight people. In addition to articles in the newspaper and on our website, Fit for Life features a blog with recipes, health tips, resources, tips on getting fit without breaking the bank, maps and other tools all available free online. Visit the website at www.pottsmerc.com/Fitforlife, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MercFit4Life and follow our efforts on Twitter @MercFit4Life. Michilea Patterson is the Fit for Life reporter and is funded in part by the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation.