The high school kids are coming tomorrow

[dixie_belle]

Every semister the highschoolers come on a field trip out to our house. They are the environmental studies kids. Since we have a solar array up and functioning, it is a good teaching tool for them. Unfortunately, they simply don't have enough time to see everything else we have here : our 1960 Lincoln show car, the 1941 Chevy show truck, our chickens, the mini horses and the mini donkey. So this year they are bringing a sack lunch and I am providing desserts for them. Well, one thing has led to another and now all of a sudden there will be almost 30 kids plus a teacher and the bus driver. I'm OK with that and have been cooking all day. I don't want any of them to go away hungry so I have: potato chips with ranch dip, tostito chips with queso and picante dip, cream cheese strudel, pumpkin bread, dark chocolate chip cookies with toffee chips, two kinds of fudge, banana pudding, carrot cake, apple pie, a chocolate roll up sorta thing with cream filling, sliced home grown tomatoes and sliced oranges. Plus I have all sorts of drinks for them. It's a good thing I have a HUGE kitchen. They can't all sit inside to eat but we have three tables outside and there is always the floor. We love having the kids over and look forward to it all year. Last year the kids sent some really lovely thank you notes. They all said something like: Thank you for the wonderful desserts....and the solar talk was OK, too. LOL

 

[Silver City Heritage Farmstead]

Wow....environmental studies for high school...wish I'd had that!! Also...seems some have the same priorities as here, FOOD!!! LOL

That you'd take the time to cook all that is, well, inspiring for. Sounds like you have your property set up like I'm planning for our future property. Are you self-supporting? (Power, electric, water,garden, etc.?)

 

[dixie_belle]

OK, so the school bus arrives and hubby gives them a little welcome speech, then they are off to the restroom and the kitchen. We had tables and chairs out on the driveway for them and they had their bag lunches and then we had desserts and drinks. Boy can they eat!! They trotted over to visit the horses and give horse cookies, they bonded with the chickens and oogled the antique vehicles. Then we all trooped out to our solar array for a talk about a grid tie system and then to the garage to hear about an off grid system. They were so cute. And I don't want to hurt my hubby's feelings, but I'm pretty sure they liked the food better than all the solar stuff! LOL But it was fun and we'll do it next semester, as well. They were especially impressed with "the hole" which is our underground shelter to be. And some of the guys said they'd love to come shovel dirt with us. How cute is that? So a good time was had by all. And there is just a little bit of goodies left over: no banana pudding (sigh) and a little fudge and carrot cake.

It was interesting to hear their comments on our house (it is a pole barn house). It's much larger inside than it appears outside. They were amazed. Hopefully it will get them thinking about alternate building methods and power needs.

 

[Riverrose28]

What you do sounds wonderful, but I have a question. We had to buy additional insurance simply because sometimes people come to look at horses to purchase. We also have an umbrella policy, last year one of the local 4-H leaders asked if she could plan a trip to our farm for the tri-state area kids, I said of course, since I know I'm covered by ins. should anything happen, and also I know that the 4-H also carries ins. Question is: Do you buy additional for large groups? Or just let them have them own coverage? That is my only concern since lets say one or more have a problem as this is a sue happy society.

 

[CharlesFamily]

That is so neat! I want to come on a field trip to your house!

My husband's nephew is attending Purdue Technology Institute (or something like that) majoring in Electrical Engineering and his focus is alternative energy. (We are so proud of him). I'm sure he would have enjoyed a field trip like that in high school.

Barbara