by Laura Genello
What do the smell of turpentine, the heat of the greenhouse, and the feel of ladybugs crawling across your palm have in common? All are things you could experience while volunteering at Great Kids Farm. On March 12, we will host our first field trip of the season at Great Kids Farm. With over 40 field trips scheduled for second graders from all over the Baltimore City Public School district this season, there is much to do to bring the farm out of its winter hibernation.
Fortunately, we have a wonderful team of hardworking volunteers to help us maintain our vegetable plantings, care for our animals, and assist with field trips. Throughout the year, our volunteers do everything from feeding the chickens on the weekends, to completing light carpentry projects to improve our education stations. On February 28th and March 4th, we hosted two workdays, bringing together newcomer volunteers and veteran volunteers who have supported Great Kids Farm for years.
Together, staff and volunteers:
- Built a new education-friendly vermicompost bin for our field trip’s compost lesson,
- Cleaned up the farm lobby to create a welcoming space,
- Gave our farm signage a make-over,
- Built new viewing stations for students to observe our goats, chickens and turkeys,
- Started seeds for spring plantings in the greenhouse,
- Prepared the vegetable fields and high tunnels, and
- Added platforms for new honeybee colonies.
We celebrated these work days with a potluck lunch, where our volunteers and staff got a chance to show off their cooking skills. We’re thankful to have such a dedicated crew of volunteers – ranging from retired teachers to current university students – who bring their energy, perspective, experiences and diverse skill-sets to the farm every week.
If you are interested in volunteering at Great Kids Farm, we’d be happy to have your help. Please contact Laura Menyuk at LNMenyuk@bcps.k12.md.us.
