Digging in the Dirt Near Denver

Last Friday I went along with my son's kindergarten class on a Field Trip to Miller Farm - which is located in Platteville, CO - not too far East of I-25. What a great day - just chilly enough to feel like fall, but warm enough for the kiddos to leave their jackets in the car so that we didn't end up carrying them - and a blue sky that made for great pictures!

We go to a Pumpkin farm every year as a family to let the kids choose their carving pumpkins off the vine, but Miller Farm was a whole new experience - they piled the kids onto a huge hay wagon pulled by a tractor and then stopped in the middle of a huge field - indian corn, broccoli, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions, peas, beans, zucchini, butternut squash....it was really amazing. Each kid took a big burlap bag and were set free to wander the fields and harvest whatever they wanted. It was so cool to watch them digging in the dirt for a hard-earned potato, yanking the carrots out by their green leafy stems, jumping to reach a good-looking ear of corn high up on the stalk...they were so into it, and it made me realize that most of these kids had probably never even seen how vegetables grow - and what an important lesson this is.

We often go to Farmer's Markets to get local produce, but I think that even then the kids don't realize how important each vegetable is - and how it needed so much work and tending to create it.

After the kids had filled their bags, and chosen a special pumpkin out of the field, we loaded the produce into the car and took a break for lunch before playing on the bicycle-tractors, the huge dirt mound with sliding carpets, and the huge bouncy pad that seemed to grow right out of the ground - they also got to ride in a little train and climb on a big old fire truck - no ride coupons required!

Most of the kids in my car fell asleep on the ride back to school, they were so worn out. We went home that night and made 2 big pans of roasted veggies. Hudson and Elliot chopped the vegetables (only one minor little owie) and spread them on baking sheets with olive oil, rock salt and black pepper - and we enjoyed them for a few days in several different dishes - really yummy!

We will definitely go back to Miller Farms, what a great experience!