Life Lab offers garden-based field trips for Elementary school students in the Garden Classroom on the UCSC CASFS Farm.

Fall Farm to Fork Field Trips for 1st grade – middle school. Mondays & Tuesdays, October through November.

Winter Feeling Fine with Fresh Food Nutrition Field Trips for 3rd-5th grades. Tuesdays, January-March.

Spring Science Exploration Field Trips for 1st-4th grades. Mondays & Tuesdays, mid-April through mid-June.

Garden Classroom Field Trip Reservation Info

View field trip visitor information (confirmation materials, parking information, daily agenda)

Fall Farm to Fork Field Trips

For 1st grade through 4th grade students. This program helps students to make the important connection between farms and the food on their dinner table.

Farm to Fork Field Trips include:

Hands-on Exploration of the 25-acre UCSC Farm

• Explore a organic flower and vegetable farm
• Harvest and sample the six plant parts—roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits & seeds
• Participate in apple investigations and tastings in the orchard
• Gain an appreciation for the different varieties & uses of corn

Activities in the Garden Classroom

• Harvest celebration, where students make and taste corn tortillas & apple cider
• Visiting chickens, honey bees, composting worms, and other garden learning sites

Field Trips are available Mondays & Tuesdays, early October through November.

Field trips begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 1:15 p.m.

One class maximum per visit (20-30 students).  Field Trips are free.  Click here for field trip registration info.

Winter Feeling Fine with Fresh Food Nutrition & Cooking Field Trips For Third, Fourth & Fifth Graders

For third, fourth, and fifth grade students. This program helps students to make the important connection between their health and the foods they choose. The activities prepare students to make informed decisions about what they eat.

Field Trips Include:

Nutrition Activities in the Garden Classroom

• Find out how eating a rainbow of fruits & vegetables keeps our body systems working
• Learn how to create a balanced meal or snack
• Harvest and cook “Stone Soup” and enjoy it with your lunch

Hands-on Exploration of the 25 acre UCSC Farm

• Explore an organic vegetable and flower farm
• Discuss the seasonality of food
• Learn about the value of eating fresh and local

Field Trips Available: Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., January through March.  One class maximum per visit (20-30 students), Field Trips are free. Click here for field trip registration info.

Field trips take place light rain or shine. Ponchos and covered areas available. High Winds, Thunderstorms, or pouring rain cancels.

Spring Science Exploration Field Trips

For 1st through 4th graders. Our Spring Science Exploration field trips have been designed to be in line with NGSS.

All programs include:

• Garden-based science exploration stations
• A hands-on exploration of the UCSC Farm
• Visiting with our chickens and observational bee hive

Pondering Plants – Grade 1 Come explore the garden and discover how different types of roots and leaves help the plant grow and survive.

Garden Pollinators – Grade 2 Birds, butterflies, and other creatures are essential visitors to the garden. Come explore the relationships between plants and pollinators and learn how they depend on each other.

Life Cycles in the Garden – Grade 3 Come investigate life cycles in the garden, where we can find plants and animals in all ages & stages! From seed to sunflower, egg to butterfly and back again, we’ll look into how life cycles work.

Fabulous Functions – Grade 4 Dig into photosynthesis, plant and animal parts and how they help these living things survive.

Field Trips are available Mondays & Tuesdays, mid-April through early June. Field trips begin at 10 a.m. and end at 1 p.m.  1 class maximum per visit (20-30 students), Field Trips are Free. Click here for field trip registration info.