Last month, upper school science teacher Kate Schafer’s food science class took a field trip to Hidden Villa, located in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, to “learn about the connection between food and agriculture by visiting a working farm,” Schafer said. The students had the opportunity to sample food crops and also participated in some agricultural activities, such as grinding wheat berries to make flour, collecting eggs laid by chickens and making butter, all of which culminated in making muffins with the ingredients they collected.

“I think that a big highlight for the students was getting to see and interact with the farm animals, especially the lambs,” said Schafer. “It also sparked a lot of good conversations about our food systems and our disconnect from food production in the U.S.” Students also discussed how food factors into cultural identities, particularly with regard to family celebrations.