One of the great things about this field trip was its
relevance to the students’ daily lives; they were actually able to walk from
their school to the farmers’ market! Utilizing local resources, such as the
Parkdale Farmers’ Market, in an educational context allows the students to see
the connections between their daily lives and what they are learning about in
school.
At the market, the students were full of great questions for
people at every stall of the market. Walking around the market, I heard
questions like “Is this garlic local? Where is it grown?” and “Do you use
pesticides on your vegetables?”. The students’ enthusiasm in learning the
answers to their questions was a testament to the importance of food education
in our schools.
While at the market, the students bought produce to make a
green tomato salsa and a Greek salad. When they returned from the market, they
had the opportunity to use all of the ingredients that they bought to make
snacks for themselves and visiting students from Connaught Public School.
It was definitely a very special trip, and another inventive
way to integrate food education into schools. A big thanks goes out to Mr.
Stephen Skoutajan at Devonshire for organizing the trip, and to all of the
parent volunteers for their help!
