Newsletters & Blog

August 2024

Fall Field Trips: Find Local Farms

Fall is quickly approaching! It is almost time for cozy sweaters, pumpkin spice candles, hot cider, and the cool crisp air. Michigan summers are hard to beat, but fall may be a more popular favorite for the locals!

Some favorite fall festivities may be right in your backyard! from apple orchards, pumpkin picking, or a local corn maze. With Michigan being #2 nationally in agricultural diversity, learn how to connect to some of these adventures in your own community!

Apple Orchards

A Michigan fall staple is visiting a local apple orchard to pick fresh Michigan apples and enjoy a hot cider with a cinnamon sugar donut. Visit your local apple orchard to experience Michigan apples. Michigan is a leading producer of apples, with more than 11 million apple trees in production you're guaranteed to find your favorite variety of apple at an orchard near you.

When you go to plan your trip to the orchard, talk to the farmers or growers about Michigan apple history, the growing process, or the harvesting process.

Once you get back home or back to the classroom, connect the experience to one of our apple lessons!

A is for Apples (Grades K-2)Use your five senses to investigate apples.
An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away (Grades 3-5)Explore organic and conventional farming practices.
Apple Genetics: A Tasty Phenomena (Grades 6-8)Applying knowledge of heredity and genetics distinguish between asexual and sexual reproduction in new varieties of apples.

Pumpkin Picking

A big part of fall is picking the perfect pumpkin and carving it just in time for Halloween. Before you take a trip to pick the perfect pumpkin, reach out to a local pumpkin farmer learn about growing the perfect pumpkin and how to care for pumpkins in the field.

Don't stop your learning there, continue by connecting addition lessons in the classroom through one of our pumpkin lessons!

Pumpkins… Not Just for Halloween (Grades K-5)Estimate size and weight of pumpkins, sprout pumpkin seeds, and make pumpkin pie in a bag.
The Case of The Missing Pumpkin (Grades K-2)Investigate the phenomena of decomposing pumpkins as part of the plant’s life cycle.
The Great PumpkinMake a paper plate model of the life cycle of a pumpkin.

Corn Maze

Lost in a corn maze, why not get lost in the history of Michigan corn and how corn plays a huge role in Michigan’s economy. Corn is also used for fuel, food, livestock feed, and so much more.

After you find your way through the corn maze and back home or in the classroom use one of these lesson plans to help further your understanding of the wide variety of uses corn has.

Corn an A-maizing Plant: Food, Fuel, and Plastic (Grades 3-5)Examine the growth, composition, history, and uses of corn.
Growing America (Grades 6-8)Determine corn anatomy and function of plant parts, identify stages of plant development in corn, and research how temperature plays a role in corn growth.

There are plenty of ways to bring agriculture into your fall festivities! Whether you are a teacher or a parent, we have ways to turn your favorite fall bucket list items into a full agricultural experience. You can find your local farms at Michigan Farm Fun.