Sustainable Foods Partnership

The following information is here to help faculty members plan a farm tour with their class to a local farm. Should you need more information about a class farm visit, please contact Joan Francioni, 457-2336 (jfrancioni at winona.edu).  Actual arrangements, however, must be made by you and the host farmer.

1. What is your goal for the farm visit in general?
2. What are your student learning goals for the visit?
3. What do you want to accomplish?
1. a quick tour of the farm
2. a focus on just one aspect of the farm operation
3. a hands-on experience
4. several hours to paint, collect soil or plant samples, write poetry, etc.
5. other
4. Does it matter what is being produced?
1. vegetables, fruit, flowers
2. specific livestock - dairy, beef, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry etc.
3. row crops
4. on-farm processing
5. other
5. Are you seeking a certain set of production methods or farm size?
1. grazing operation
2. raised beds
3. greenhouses
4. no-tillage
5. finishing versus farrow to finish
6. community supported agriculture farm
7. certified organic, organic in practice but not certified, sustainable, Fair Trade, or other certification
8. other
6. How far away are you willing to travel?
7. How long do you want your time on the farm to last?
8. Farm access might limit the number or nature of vehicles (for instance, can a bus get up a gravel road? Is there sufficient parking? Is snow/ice an issue?).
9. Check with Joan Francioni, 457-2336 (jfrancioni at winona.edu), about the availability of an honorarium for the farmer.

1. How much time can the host farmer give you? Farmers are on the clock even though they work “at home.”
2. Weather – dress for it or consider canceling the trip if weather or road conditions make an outside trip unadvisable. Will want to talk with students about clothing (e.g., layers, hat, appropriate shoes) and protection from elements (e.g., sunscreen, insect repellent).
3. Mud, manure, and uneven ground make shoes and other issues of mobility an important consideration.
4. As a place of work with its own idiosyncrasies, the farm may have areas the host farmer asks you not to enter/touch, etc. Silos and electrified fencing are two such examples. Talk to the farmer and your class about this up front.
5. There are likely to be dogs, cats, insects, fields of pollen, and other potential allergens.
6. If this trip is a class requirement, consider alternative assignments for those students who will have trouble participating in the farm visit.

If a tour is NOT part of a class, but a voluntary trip, students and WSU employees must sign a waiver before going out to the farm. The tour leader should collect the signed waivers at the start of the tour and turn them in to Lori Mikl in Legal Affairs, Somsen 202A, when they return to campus.

Important arrangements to confirm prior to your farm visit…

1. Date(s) and time(s)/length of visit
2. Directions, road conditions
3. Parking
4. Bathroom
5. Discuss EXACTLY what the host farmer will provide (a tour, field to sit in, chairs for students to sit in, farm product samples, etc.)
6. Communicate the educational goals for your students to the host farmer directly.
7. Clarify the number of people the host farmer can expect. Will you require more than one tour day/time?
8. Figure out “Plan B” in the event of weather/emergency.
9. Discuss special needs (food, water, tools, mud boots, farm vehicle, farm tools, etc.)
10. Determine your transportation options for getting students to the farm. Limited funds are available for school vans. Contact Joan Francioni, 457-2336 (jfrancioni at winona.edu) for further information.

Plan to bring a camera to document your class's visit. We will be happy to post pictures on this site after you return.

We will also provide evaluation surveys for you, your students, and the host farmer to learn how to best organize and support farm tours in the future.