People can farm without hurting the planet if they keep the planet in mind while they’re farming. Organic or sustainable farms try to grow food and raise animals as close to what Mother Nature intended as possible. They don’t use any harmful chemicals for killing weeds; they don’t use sewage sludge (which is what people flush down their toilets!) to fertilize their fields; they feed their animals natural food; and they do whatever they can to protect the Earth as they farm. Take a virtual organic farm tour at www.ecoridsonline.com . Just look for “My visit to an Organic Farm” and let your students explore without leaving the classroom. When you’re done, write your own organic “Farmer in the dell” song.
One specific part of the Earth sustainable farmers try hard to protect is the soil. Without healthy soil, they can’t grow food. There are a lot of ingredients needed for healthy soil, including our friends the earth-worms (actually, it’s their poop that makes soil healthy). Make your own classroom worm farm by downloading the worm guide from www.ciwmb.ca.gov/schools/curriculum/worms .
A second part of this project is to buy two identical plants. Scoop out the worm poop and worm juice every now and then and feed it to one of the potted plants (mark them so you know which one to feed). Watch and see what happens. Is one growing more quickly than other? Does it look healthier? This is why it’s important to protect the soil and the creatures that live in it. The pesticides and other chemical that industrial farmers use can kill these helpful creatures. Pick up a copy of Worms Eat Our Garbage: Classroom Activities for a Better Environment by Mary Appelholf, Mary Frances Fenton, and Barbara Loss Harris to find more ideas to get your students wriggling.