AnonymousBy SEEAG
Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is looking for farms in Santa Barbara County to host its Farm Lab field trip agricultural education program.
Farm Lab is an opportunity for schoolchildren in the area to visit a farm so they can learn firsthand about the importance of local farming and build awareness of and appreciation for agriculture—from farm to consumption. It emphasizes and encourages healthy eating habits as part of the curriculum. SEEAG instructors lead the program. The program is free and all supplies and transportation to Farm Lab are provided at no cost to schools wishing to participate.
SEEAG held its first Farm Lab field trip in Santa Barbara County last week in Santa Maria at Allan Hancock College Vineyard and Community Garden. Fifty-two third graders from Battles Elementary School participated. Students picked and tasted produce from the garden and went home with fresh produce and vegetable seedlings.
Besides Santa Maria, SEEAG wants to add Farm Lab locations in the Santa Barbara/Goleta area and central Santa Barbara County (Santa Ynez Valley/Solvang).
SEEAG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and has operated a Farm Lab in Ventura County since 2008. Over 60,000 students have participated in the program.
“When students take part in Farm Lab, they get excited about eating healthy. It’s suddenly fun to eat good food when you know how it’s grown,” says Mary Maranville, founder/CEO of SEEAG.
In addition to Farm Lab, SEEAG hosts Santa Barbara County Farm Day. Farms open their doors to the public for tours and samples. This year’s Farm Day drew over 5,000 visitors.
For more information about Farm Lab, contact Maranville at 805-901-0213, mary@seeag.org or go to www.SEEAG.org.
About SEEAG
Founded in 2008, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to help young students understand the origins of their food by bridging the gap between agriculture and consumption through its agricultural education programming. SEEAG’s “The Farm Lab” program teaches schoolchildren about the origins of their food and the importance of local farmland by providing schools with classroom agricultural education and free field trips to farms. Through this and other SEEAG programs, over 60,000 elementary school students in Central and Southern California have increased their understanding of the food journey. For more information, visit www.seeag.org or email Mary Maranville at mary@seeag.org.
