Young Farmers have their first harvest

The Young Farmers, one of many Passion Projects in the Junior School, recently had their first harvest. Passion projects are a component of the Primary Years Programme (PYP), aimed at developing a sense of independence and responsibility amongst Junior School students. Students set aside an hour each week, ‘Genius Hour,’ to explore a topic that interests them.

Young Farmers gives students the opportunity to experience the world of agriculture. Through the guidance of a supervisor, students work together to grow and nurture a vegetable garden, in turn gaining a practical understanding of the conditions necessary for growing crops, such as sunlight, quality of soil, water, and pest and weed control. On top of gaining technical insight, students implement and develop their problem-solving, organization, time-management, and interpersonal skills to ensure the growth and success of their garden.

"Students always look forward to planting new seedlings on the seedbeds as well as watering their little growing plants. Farming teaches them to be responsible and to have a greater appreciation for food. They understand that proper care for crops is essential in growing quality food. They have also understood where their food comes from, farm to table," says Young Farmer's coordinator, Ruth Msae. 

 "Farming is my favourite activity! We get a lot of fruits and vegetables. Every week we visit our gardens and grow things like strawberries, watermelon, and sukumawiki. It is a lot of fun," says Grade 4 student Saad Bharwani.

All in all, Young Farmers has enabled our Junior School students to explore and develop their enthusiasm for farming while also making them more conscious of the importance of sustainable, environmentally friendly agriculture.