Earlier this month, Oak Grove’s fifth grade students went on a field trip to Apricot Lane Farms, a regenerative farm in Ventura County.
Made famous through the documentary The Biggest Little Farm, this was Oak Grove’s first visit to the farm, which is known for its biodiversity and innovative, regenerative farming practices. “It felt like a really natural fit,” says Sage, Oak Grove’s fifth grade teacher. “So much of what we’re studying is alive on that land.”
On campus, students have been learning about the science of soil – what makes it healthy, how it connects to food systems, and how different approaches to farming either support or strip the land. Fifth graders have been comparing industrial farming models to regenerative polyculture systems, which work with nature rather than against it.
“Apricot Lane is a great example of that kind of farming,” adds Sage. “It’s not what the U.S. food system is currently set up to support, and it’s not the most profitable way to farm, but it shows what’s possible when the goal is to give back to the land.”
The field trip began in the avocado orchard, where students dug into the soil to observe texture, color, smell, and signs of life. “It was really just about letting them slow down and explore,” Sage says. “To notice what’s happening above and below the soil.”
Students also saw piglets, walked through stone fruit orchards, and visited the farm’s new pond habitat. A highlight was an unexpected visit from the farm’s founders, John and Molly Chester. “The kids had just watched the documentary, so getting to meet the owners and talk with John about farm health, human health, and hope for the future was a big moment,” says Sage.
Back on campus, fifth grade students are continuing their work in the food forest, where they have been enriching depleted soil, designing and installing irrigation, planting crops, and tracking data. “They started with a blank piece of land,” Sage explains. “Now they’re thinking about water usage, planning for breakages in the system, and tying it all back to math class by graphing their findings and learning about statistics.”
The project grew from a collaboration between Sage and Oak Grove’s garden teacher Arianne, who together shifted one of the weekly science blocks into hands-on garden time for the fifth grade. “Once you’re outside and the project is purpose-driven, the learning is infinite,” Sage says. “Students are thinking critically, making connections, and learning how to care for something beyond themselves.”
The field trip to Apricot Lane Farms offered a living example of the ideas fifth grade has been studying, as well as a sense of what’s possible when we align learning with care for the land.
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