East Farm Field Trips
October was a busy month for SMILE field trips, with 10 of our SMILE programs across 6 districts visiting URI’s East Farm. Students enjoyed a full day of activities, from learning about plant pollinators and pests to exploring tractor mechanics and receiving an up-close lesson about bees. There was so much for SMILE students to look forward to this season!
Westerly High School
Westerly High School were the first SMILE students to visit URI’s East Farm this season. On September 25th, 15 students arrived and were demonstrated how large tractors work by East Farm’s manager, Allegra Halverson. The students learned about the various disciplines required to run a farm, including how to safely operate farm machinery, the workings of a fruit orchard, and the intricacies of pest management.
In the afternoon, Westerly HS winded down in the apple orchard, where they picked 350 pounds of apples! On their way home, they delivered their haul to the Charlestown RI-CAN food pantry (Rhode Island Center Assisting those in Need).
Central Falls Elementary Schools
We happily welcomed 55 Central Falls Elementary SMILE students across 3 schools—Veterans Memorial, Ella Risk, and RAICES Dual Language Academy—to East Farm for their first time! On October 2nd, the students arrived for a hands-on learning experience. They started in the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden where they learned about the interactions between plants, pollinators, pests, and soil types. They tasted different herbs and edible flowers before making their way over to the orchard, where they learned how fruit trees grow as they harvested apples!
South Kingstown High and Johnston Middle and High Schools
We were thrilled to welcome students from South Kingstown High School, Johnston High, and Nicholas A. Ferri Middle School to East Farm for their very first visit! On October 9th, 35 students gathered to explore the Demonstration Garden and bring home fresh apples from the orchard.
South Kingstown students kicked off the day in the Demonstration Garden, where they learned about different seed types, winter preparation, and the process of pollination from Professor Steve Alm. Later, students from Johnston High and Ferri Middle arrived and received a warm welcome into the SMILE community, discovering what it means to be a SMILE student. They explored the garden and joined in on the apple-picking fun before heading home.
Newport Elementary and High School
Thirty-five students from Claiborne Pell Elementary and Rogers High School visited the gardens on October 10th to learn all about tractors! Students of all ages were equipped with food-safe gloves and got to work identifying around 100 oil spots on the tractors to prepare them for winter. They even had the chance to oil some spots themselves and sit in the driver’s seat, taking apart some pieces and working together to put them back. After a tractor-safety lesson, they ended with some apple picking!
South Kingstown and Woonsocket Elementary Schools
On October 16th, Allegra Halverson spoke to around 40 students from Peacedale Elementary and Globe Park Elementary about the unique qualities of native bees and honey bees. She brought along various beekeeping items—like honeycombs, a smoker, honey jars, and a dismantled beehive—for students to explore up close. The students learned about essential tools for beekeeping like the frames, smoker, and queen excluder. They taste-tested some raw honey and tried propolis, a resinous “gum-like” substance bees produce, before ending the day in the apple orchard.
A Memorable Event
The SMILE students had a blast this season, and many first-time participants left excited for more SMILE events just like this! The SMILE Program extends a big thank-you to the East Farm members who made this event possible, along with the URI Master Gardeners, who are dedicated to educating the public and supporting food-insecure communities in South County. The students picked a literal ton of apples, bringing home around 2,000 pounds to share with their families and communities. In total, East Farm harvested over 13,500 apples this season, most of which were donated to local food pantries and food-insecure communities!
As a special highlight, our teaching team from Peacedale Elementary in South Kingstown created a few beautiful collages capturing students’ best moments from their field trip! We’re grateful to our SMILE teachers for their care and enthusiasm in helping SMILE students explore and appreciate nature.
