Progress report for YENC24-222
Project Information
A mobile learning lab, equipped with hands-on activities, games,
soil analysis supplies, rain simulators, and watershed models,
will engage rural youth in understanding the importance of
sustainable farming methods and their relation to improved
environmental and economic outcomes. Manitowoc County Soil and
Water Conservation Department (SWCD) will visit rural middle and
high schools with the interactive lab. By targeting rural
schools, we can reach youth who are likely to live or work on
farms in the future, empowering the next generation with
sustainable farming knowledge, and creating a ripple effect that
positively impacts the community's approach to farm management.
Goals:
- Establish a mobile learning lab to introduce youth to
sustainable ag practices. - Provide hands-on, engaging learning experiences to promote
land stewardship and encourage conservation practice
implementation on the farm and at home.
Objectives:
- Purchase and equip the lab.
- Develop at least 4 lesson plans with feedback from local
teachers. - Provide a minimum of 100 middle & high school participants
with learning experiences that demonstrate the connection between
conservation BMP’s and improved soil health, water quality, and
farm productivity during 4 classroom & 1 on-farm workshops. - Collect data and feedback to evaluate the learning lab.
Cooperators
- (Educator)
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
In the first year of our two-year mobile learning trailer grant, we focused primarily on preparatory activities aimed at developing engaging content for our multi-school farm visit scheduled for fall 2025. Key highlights of our outreach and activities include:
- Partnership Development: We established a partnership with Ryan Sullivan of Sullivan Family Farms, who will host an on-farm experience for approximately 100 rural youth. His farm demonstrates sustainable practices such as rotational grazing, composting, and no-till farming, making it an excellent venue for students to learn about soil health and sustainable agriculture. Ryan has also engaged in training related to soil microbiomes, enhancing the educational value of the experience.
- Collaboration with Seven Rivers Soil Cooperative: We collaborated with this producer-led group to facilitate hands-on learning experiences for students. They have provided access to cover crop, buffer, and no-till samples for our tabletop rainfall simulators, allowing students to compare these practices with conventional tillage. Additionally, Seven Rivers farmers have expressed their willingness to engage with students, sharing their experiences in sustainable agriculture.
- Resource Acquisition: We procured half of the necessary supplies for our mobile learning trailer, including tabletop rainfall simulators, slake tests, and soil health assessment kits. These tools have been piloted by Seven Rivers members, who provided positive feedback on their effectiveness in teaching soil health analysis.
- Pilot Activities: Our team successfully piloted the rainfall simulators at the "Breakfast on the Farm" event, engaging with 50 youth who learned about soil erosion and water infiltration through hands-on comparisons of different agricultural practices. Additionally, a small group of high school students from Manitowoc participated in a tour across five farm sites, where they examined various best management practices and their impact on watershed health and agricultural sustainability.
- Trailer Design and Planning: We are in the process of designing the layout for the mobile learning trailer to accommodate various educational tools and activities. The trailer will be fully operational by summer. We conducted a survey among teachers to understand how they envision utilizing the mobile learning service, which has revealed interest in in-class presentations and equipment loan programs.
- Challenges Addressed: We noted challenges related to high school scheduling, where students are not in one classroom throughout the day. With classes typically lasting 60 minutes, ensuring meaningful engagement during farm visits requires careful planning to optimize time management.
In terms of outreach, we are actively documenting insights from these activities. We plan to submit an application to present at the 2026 Land & Water WI state-wide conference and feature the mobile learning trailer activities in SWCD newsletters and future communications with local educators. These upcoming presentations will further highlight our initiatives and findings, as well as provide a step-by-step guide to duplicate the initiative in counties across WI.
Learning Outcomes
Students who participated in our farm tour as a pilot program, gained awareness about cropland and structural best management practices that increase production and protect the environment. This was the first time participants saw practices such as harvestable buffers and WASCBs, first-hand.
This is the first year of our 2-year grant and SWCD decided to trial a farm visit on a small-scale before the multiple school visit in fall 2025. Our goal is to work with a minimum of 100 students.
Project Outcomes
We are developing a library of lesson plans and equipment ready and available for SWCD and community use. We also worked with local farmers to develop their capacity to use hands-on equipment such as rainfall simulators and slake tests to educate youth and community members.