9-10s Visit the MCS Farm for their First Ever Farm Trip

Historically, a Manhattan Country School 9-10’s student would be making their fourth trip to the Manhattan Country School Farm this fall. Due to the pandemic, their first trip took place over these past two weeks. You would not have known it. 

Beginning with Oeste and followed by Este, the kids jumped right into all the Farm has to offer. Soon after unpacking, they toured their farm in small groups. For many, this was the first time being at the place they have only heard and dreamed of. Initial visits to the cow barn, chicken coop and hay jump brought squeals of excitement! After the tour, the kids enjoyed some free time. Some ventured to the top of Thyme Hill, others went back to the hay jump, and several waited their turn for the tree swing. The afternoon quickly turned to evening and dinner time. The first night's meal was a Pasta Extravaganza! 

Spaghetti with tomato sauce, made with Farm tomatoes, Farm made pesto, a tossed salad filled with ingredients from our gardens, and warm garlic bread fresh out of the oven. All washed down with cold milk from our cow Dairy Queen. A little more free time in the evening, then a group game and it was off to bed. Some kids remarked the next morning that it was their best sleep ever!

Some kids were up early for barn chores; feeding the cows, cleaning stalls, spreading fresh bedding and of course, hand-milking Dairy Queen. A breakfast of pancakes, sausage, fruit and juice, with our own maple syrup followed. Each child experienced all of the classes on the middle day of the trip. When they return for a longer time, Farming, Cooking, Nature Studies, and Fiber Arts classes will be longer and spread over a couple of days. All the kids planted garlic to be harvested next summer. They prepared meals and snacks for the entire Farm community. They took a discovery hike through the Farms fields and forest. In Fiber Arts, they wove on a table loom to create a piece of cloth, which blended each individual's chosen color and will hang in their classroom. We are excited to expand on these foundations on their next Farm trip later this year.