Pitney Meadows Community Farm and Cornell Cooperative Extension offering "Growing Minds" Field Trip Program for the 2024/25 School Season

Pitney Meadows Community Farm, in collaboration with Cornell Cooperative Extension, is excited to offer Growing Minds: A Living Classroom Experience for the 2024/25 school season. Under the umbrella of Pitney Meadows’ Explore to Learn Programming, this innovative program is designed to enhance environmental and agricultural education for youth by providing hands-on, real-life experiences on a working farm.

A Unique, Hands-On Learning Experience

Growing Minds field trips bridge the gap between classroom-based agricultural lessons and the dynamic world of farming. Through a series of school field trips to Pitney Meadows, students will have the opportunity to witness the changing seasons and interact with agricultural practices in action.

"Our living classroom offers an irreplaceable experience for students to connect with the land, understand food systems, and participate in sustainable farming practices," said Brooke McConnell, Executive Director at Pitney Meadows Community Farm.

Engaging Activities and Educational Support

Cornell Cooperative Extension will facilitate the field trips, guiding students through engaging activities and educational farm tours. To enrich the learning experience, Cornell Cooperative will also develop pre-field trip materials to prepare students and post-field trip materials to encourage classroom reflection and discussion.

"This partnership aims to make agriculture accessible and exciting for students, offering them the tools to explore the environment and food production from a practical perspective," said Nicolina Foti from the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Saratoga County, NY

Schedule a Growing Minds Field Trip Today! 

Educators interested in bringing their students to Pitney Meadows for a Growing Minds field trip are encouraged to contact the farm for booking information. Field trips are tailored to meet the educational needs of students and are available for various grade levels.

For more information or to schedule a field trip, please email contact@pitneymeadows.org.

The Growing Minds field trip program is supported with funding from the New York State Conservation Partnership Program (NYSCPP) and New York’s Environmental Protection Fund. The NYSCPP is administered by the Land Trust Alliance, in coordination with the state Department of Environmental Conservation.