Agricultural Learning at Eliada: Nurturing Young Minds
Eliada stands out for its innovative approach to education, notable through its incorporation of agricultural learning into its curriculum. The center offers a safe place for children who are receiving mental health treatment and/or are in transition within the social service system. Erica Blumenfeld M.Ed, QMHP, is the Farm Director of Eliada Farms and currently oversees three growing facilities along with Eliada’s well-known corn maze! Erica oversees the Geodesic Grow Dome, a Hoophouse, and Learning Garden.
Within the heart of the Geodesic Grow Dome, sits a flourishing one-year old fig tree from which the students often enjoy plucking figs. The Dome also serves as a koi fish aquaponics/hydroponics classroom where students can grow lettuce, strawberries, and other vegetables and herbs that will make their way to the market garden. The Dome serves as a living classroom fostering curiosity and exploration for the students.
Adjacent to the corn maze stand is the Hoophouse, another classroom that hosts students and other volunteering organizations that seek to learn about living soil seed propagation, maintenance, and harvesting techniques. Within the hoophouse, produce such as tomatoes and greens are grown and harvested and sent directly to the Eliada kitchen. Surplus harvest is then donated. Eliada’s kitchen is used to create fresh and nutritious meals for the students served on campus.
The Learning Garden is used to educate students about vegetable production alongside fragrant and therapeutic herbs. The students have the opportunity to harvest these herbs and enjoy them in a therapeutic workshop that is organized and reared by Erica. While planting and harvesting in the Learning Garden, students learn gardening techniques using hand tools without the use of pesticides.
Throughout the summer and fall, Erica orchestrates the corn maze, a beloved feature used for the annual Fall Festival and Corn Maze, fundraising events, and team-building workshops for organizations seeking a synergistic activity for their staff. Tickets for the Eliada Fall Festival and Corn Mazeare available on the Eliada.org website, and reservations for field trips, corporate nights, and birthday parties can be acquired through Cornmaze@eliada.org.
Bounty & Soul began partnering with Eliada in 2023 to purchase excess produce for our Produce to the People community markets and provide production support through connecting volunteers with their program.
Farm Volunteer Workdays: 1st Friday of each month 10am-12noon- Click here to sign up!
We extend our gratitude to Eliada for welcoming us to tour the farm and cover their programs in this month’s newsletter and special thanks Erica Blumenfield for her dedication to nurturing young minds to success. Erica Blumenfield will be speaking at the CRAFT Farmer Network | Organic Growers School Conference, Saturday, March 9, 2024 as part of the Food Justice: Land Access presentation.