Bowers School Farm Newsletter - March 2022

“The earth has music for those who listen"

William Shakespeare

March is our month for planning and getting school field trips rolling. We have many new opportunities for learning, growing, and experiencing that are coming soon for our visitors. Please continue to read about everything that is upcoming.

CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES

NATIVE PLANT SALE & GARDEN PRESENTATION

Help us support our local ecosystems with native plants in your garden this year!

Join Bowers School Farm and East Michigan Native Plants for our 2022 Michigan Native Plant Sale of a variety of grasses and wildflowers for purchase. You may pre-order to ensure your selection or purchase on the day of the sale.

May 22, 2022 will be pick up and a special Garden Presentation.

More Info Here

COMMUNITY CLASSES

Small classes for pre-school, elementary, teens are starting this spring include Pony Pals, Handy with Horses, Farm School and Chicks, Seeds & Me. Registration begins March 3 at 9am.

Culinary Workshops in partnership with OCC for adults will be coming soon.

More information here

SMALL GROUPS OR SCOUTS

Kickstart your spring at Bowers by registering your scout or small group for one of our many unique programs! Programs are tailored to earn scouts a badge, but can be enjoyed by any small group!

There is something for every group in these programs!

More Info

BRICK PATHWAYS IN THE CHILDREN'S DISCOVERY GARDEN

Learn more here

Leave your print in the garden by ordering your commemorative brick today!

To continue our fundraising efforts, we are offering custom engraved, commemorative bricks as a token of our appreciation for supporting the vision of the Discovery Garden. Your support is priceless as we pursue the project with our community to establish a garden providing a unique experience and exploration new on our farm.

LOOKING FOR AN ACTIVITY IN MARCH?

"SAP HAPPY" at Johnson Nature Center

Join us this maple sugaring season for a tour of our Sugarbush! Discover how to identify and tap the perfect sugar maple tree and enjoy the sights, smells, and tastes of the sweet syrup-making process in our Sugar Shack and Log Cabin.

Learn More

SUMMER CAMP UPDATE

Thank you to all who registered for camp! This year, the demand for camp has been exceptionally high, where over 1,000 spots were filled within 3 hours. We are grateful and humbled by the overwhelming support for our program. There remain a few teen camps and Nature Center camps that have openings.

SEEKING SUMMER STAFF: We are seeking playful, thoughtful, and hardworking individuals to join our dynamic summer camp staff team. Please visit our Work at Camp page and apply today. Staff must be 18 years or older.

Are you or someone you know under the age of 18 and want to participate in camp? Join our Stewards Leadership Program, ages 14-21, who commit at least 2 weeks of their time to supporting summer camp. Please visit our Stewards page to learn more.

OPEN BARN & VISITOR CENTER

Open Barn starts next month and the Visitor Center opens again! Join us Fridays 2:30-6:00 pm and Saturdays 10:00 am-4:00 pm (weather dependent) beginning April 1, 2022.

Activities will be focused on a monthly theme. April Open Barn weekends will include hands-on activities focused on gardens! Each day will be a new experience at the farm. Learn more HERE

PARTNER PAVILION AT OPEN BARN

Open Barn 2022 Partner Pavilion Applications are open!

Local non-profit and civic organizations are invited to partner to bring a variety of hands-on activities, displays, and presentations to Open Barn guests. Partner Pavilions take place on Saturdays April through October 10am-4pm.

Partner Pavilion's highlight a specialty theme that is aligned with our mission and the following topics: agriculture, education, and/or the environment.

Applications can be found here. For more information contact Megan at misabell@bloomfield.org

ANIMAL INTERESTS

LAMBING:

We finished lambing on February 10th. There are a total of 14 lambs, 5 girls and 9 boys. All of our lambs, calves, and piglets are growing up so fast and they are excited to see everyone on April 1st for the first Open Barn! We are anxiously awaiting baby Boer goats from Stella any day now!

FEATURED ANIMAL: French Alpine Goats

French Alpine goats, also known as Alpine dairy goats, are a type of dairy goat and are excellent milkers. Originating in France in the Alps, they were introduced to the U.S. from France in 1922. They were chosen for their much preferred size, uniformity, and production. Does are typically 30 inches or more in height at the withers (shoulder blades) and usually weigh at least 135 pounds. Bucks have an average height of 34-40 inches and typically weigh at least 170 pounds. Alpines can come in many colors including white, black, gray, tan, brown, bay, and off-white. They have over 5 different kinds of coat patterns that these colors can come in.

Here at Bowers, we have 6 French Alpine goats. A buck is named Bandit. Three does are named Moo, Honey, and Mackinac along with two yearling does.

FUN FOR KIDS & FAMILY

What kind of horses only go outside after dark?

Nightmares

How did the farmer fix a hole in his overalls?

With a cabbage patch

AFNR

The Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources students have had a busy couple of months!

Students have started our hanging basket fundraiser with the delivery and planting of over 1,250 Proven Winners Petunia flowers into baskets. Each of these individual flower plugs were arranged into 12” pots that created 7 different basket variaties! In total, students planted 190 baskets and will be monitoring greenhouse conditions, creating a plan to fertilize the flowers, and will be pruning and watering as needed. These baskets will be available for sale in early May so keep an eye on the website for when we will start taking online orders!

Our Bloomfield Hills FFA chapter is celebrating Emma Salle for her research project that has qualified to be presented at the Arthur Berkley Science Fair taking place at the 94th Michigan FFA State Convention. Her research focused on the impact of hands-on, animal based experiences and the information retention of students. Emma will present her research to a panel of judges on March 9th in the Wharton Center at Michigan State University.

SEEKING FARM FUN PEOPLE