Lesson 1: Roots of Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative farming has its roots in many of the practices employed, developed, and continued by the Indigenous people of New England. This lesson will unpack the principles of regenerative agriculture through the lens of Indigenous knowledge throughout history. For example, the concept of intercropping and polycultures has its roots in the "Three Sisters" planting, and the roots-in-the-ground emphasis on perennial plants can be traced back to the complex forest management techniques of Native people. Students will learn about these and other ways that regenerative farming is shaped by indigenous knowledge, and how those ideas have evolved and changed over time.
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Lesson 2: Why We Grow What We Grow
This lesson examines the produce from different regions of New England, and the conditions (space, climate, resources, urban/suburban, landscape) that allow them to be grown (e.g. cranberries bogs in Massachusetts, potatoes from Maine, oysters & kelp in CT). Students will explore a few different regions of our area, as well as the crops that are produced.
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Lesson 3: Eat Like You Live Here
Places are often identified as homes to certain foods, whether they are grown there or they have been popularized by certain communities within the state. In this lesson, students will learn about iconic New England food items (marshmallow fluff, Boston cream pie, Vermont Maple Syrup, Dunkin Donuts, Ben and Jerry's etc), and the ways in which those foods became ubiquitous within our region. They will answer questions about these foods, like who brought them here, how they have shaped our cuisine, what brands dominate the landscape etc.
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Lesson 4: Let's Talk Turkey
Turkeys have made quite the comeback in New England after being hunted to near extinction in the 20th century. They exist both in the wild and on farms, providing a unique way of viewing this food item. We now see heritage breeds, wild birds, as well as mass produced birds for consumption. Students will explore how consumption of this bird has shifted throughout New England history, and the factors that would influence turkey production across the region (lack of space, availability of processing facilities, etc).
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Lesson 5: Farms to Waterways
Water and farms are inherently connected: farms depend on water, and what happens on a farm affects water in a myriad of ways, e.g. industrial dairy farms and small scale vegetable farms require different quantities of water to operate, and affect water around them in different ways. Students will use this knowledge to examine how farming has impacted the waterways of New England.
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Lesson 6: New England's #1 Food
There are more than 1000 dairy farms in New England and dairy is a major source of revenue for all the states in NE. This lesson reviews the history of dairy production in New England, from individual cows owned by families, smaller family farms, to the worker cooperatives of today. Students will trace these different lineages and unpack where certain dairy products originated across the region. They might find that some are easier to learn about than others. Students will examine different products that represent different stakeholders in the New England Dairy industry (Cabot Cheese, Cato Corner cheese, Hood Milk, Garelick farms, and other smaller dairy producers like Sweetgrass Creamery, Jasper Hill, etc).
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Lesson 7: Preserving New England's Bounty
New England has a limited growing season based on our climate, and we need to take advantage of the time we have with the abundance of summer. Farmers choose crop varieties that are tailored well for our climate, growing season, and soils. We then have a certain amount of time to make use of all these products. Students in this lesson will learn about the decision-making process for New England farmers and when certain crops are at their peak harvest. In the kitchen, students will learn about various methods of preservation used to prolong the flavors of summer.
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Lesson 8: Ocean Farming
New England’s bounty of fresh fish and seafood has shaped much of its cuisine and food traditions. In this unit students will learn which fish thrive in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean and bays of New England as well as which are farmed on the coastlines. They’ll learn the difference between harvesting wild fish and seafood and raising fish and seafood in fish farms, and discuss the pros and cons of both.
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Lesson 9: Farm to Cafeteria
Farms have various ways to stay afloat, including selling their produce to institutions like schools. The term "farm to school" gets thrown around a lot, but what does that really mean? This lesson unpacks the barriers and successes in getting local, sustainably produced food into cafeterias. Students will report on the status of getting this food into schools for their particular region/school system, analyzing the different stakeholders, pricing models, etc.
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Lesson 10: Getting the Food We Need
Eating locally and sustainably is a healthy goal for both people and the planet. But there are barriers to eating local, sustainable food, barriers related to class, race, and other factors. Students will learn where and to whom local food in New England is most available. They will research barriers that communities face when trying to eat locally and sustainably, through a series of interviews with local food security agencies.
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Lesson 11: Intro to Agriculture: Grains
Grain, an important part of diets around the world, was traditionally grown locally. In the 20th century, grain production has primarily been industrialized. In this lesson, students will learn about different kinds of grain and where they are grown.
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Lesson 12: Culminating Project
This unit has focused on giving the students in-depth background on how, where and what is grown in New England, and how climate, geography and history impact food practices and traditions. In this lesson, students will revisit what they’ve learned and create a seasonal menu using the information they’ve learned, identifying which lessons their meal represents.
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