In the spirit of MAIC’s goal to help students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society, Ashwood’s middle school students are participating in Aldermere’s Farm Hands program. Each week this fall, the teens visited the farm to work with the young Belted Galloway calves, learning to halter train, groom, and lead Aldermere’s famed “belties.” A second group of Ashwood students will participate in the program this spring.
“This has been a wonderful group for jumping right in, learning the skills, and implementing what they’ve learned,” said Aldermere Program Coordinator Sarah Post. “It’s fabulous how quickly they’ve been able to do everything, and they have such a tenderness with the animals.”The work done by the students is a service to the Farm because it allows the calves to get use to being around people, and to be well tempered and manageable.
The eight-week program offers each student four weeks of hands on work with the calves and four weeks of drawing and painting en plein air. For the artisitic portion, students studied the anatomical structure of the cow in order to be able to accurately render their drawings. Ashwood Eighth Grader, Ella Simon described the process: “First we sketched the landscape. Next, we transferred our composition very lightly onto painting paper. Then we began to paint. We painted trees and the fields; some of us included a barbed-wire fence, and lastly we added the cows. Our class has enjoyed the time we spent at the farm and loved working there.”
Located on Park Street in Rockport, Ashwood Waldorf School is an independent and accredited school serving children 18 months old eighth grade. The rigorous Waldorf curriculum is designed to ignite the child’s imagination and develop capacities for creative and independent thinking. Ashwood has had a presence in midcoast Maine for 27 years, enrolling children from Damariscotta to Belfast and beyond. For more information about Ashwood Waldorf School please call the office at 236-8021, email info@ashwoodwaldorf.org or visit www.ashwoodwaldorf.org.
Coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine Agriculture in the Classroom is funded by the Maine Agricultural specialty license plate as well as grants and private sponsors. Its goal is to help students gain a greater awareness of the role of agriculture in the economy and society so that they will become citizens who support wise agricultural policies and local agriculture endeavors.
Aldermere Farm is one of the world's premier breeders of Belted Galloway cattle. The 136-acre farm is owned and managed by Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a statewide land conservation organization dedicated to protecting the scenic beauty, outdoor recreational opportunities, ecological diversity, and working landscapes of the Maine coast. The Trust maintains Aldermere as a working farm and educational center helping the community deepen their appreciation for land conservation and agriculture.
Photo credit: Madrona Wienges
Painting by: Ella Simon, Ashwood Class of 2013
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