AGRIscapes Increases Outreach Efforts
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This fall was a busy season at the AGRIscapes center at Cal Poly Pomona.
Opened in 2001 as an agricultural demonstration and outreach facility, AGRIscapes boasts the popular Farm Store and hosts the Pumpkin Festival that draws thousands of people every October.
But this year, it also saw a surge in field trips from local schools, Head Start programs, home schooled children, and other organizations. About 6,000 children participated in field trips at AGRIscapes – a 50 percent increase over last year.
“The field trips are a great way to introduce children to an agricultural setting and farm activities,” says Craig Walters, AGRIscapes’ outreach director.
The increase in field trips is just one example of AGRIscapes ramping up its public outreach programs this year, inviting the public to visit the center and learn more about what Cal Poly Pomona does in agriculture.
The children got to see the pumpkin patch, visit Danny’s Farm petting zoo, and go into the corn maze. In addition, about 2,000 adults accompanied the children on these trips.
The Plant Science Nursery at AGRIscapes also is selling poinsettia plants to the public this holiday season for the first time in 13 years. It’s the first time that the public has been allowed into the nursery’s greenhouse.
Looking ahead to the spring, AGRIscapes is planning to host more field trips from local schools who are coming to visit Danny’s Farm and the children’s garden, which was revamped earlier this year to include a windmill and more educational activity areas.
“We are one of the only remaining large areas in the L.A. Basin being actively farmed today. People are very interested in experiencing how food is produced,” Walters says. “In addition, we are discovering that schools are asking for agriculture curriculum, so we’re developing curriculum that will be compatible with the schools.”
Ultimately, the Huntley College of Agriculture plans to build a barn at AGRIscapes that will allow the petting zoo animals to be housed there. It also will contain antique and modern farming equipment for public display. It could be rented for public activities and events, Walters says.