Education/Outreach

- Educational Programs
- Field Trips
- Worskshops/Free Lectures
- Intern Program
- Volunteer Program
- Grant Support

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Educational Programs
Providing learning opportunities for students and others helps Sweetwater Organic Community Farm fulfill its mission of educating our community. The farm serves as a working model of appropriate land stewardship, teaching lessons that visitors can apply to their daily lives. Visitors also have the opportunity to foster community and participate in responsible environmental leadership through learning to grow organic food, working together, and enjoying nature.

Field Trips for Students and Adults
Each season Sweetwater hosts several hundred school age children from public and private schools, home schools, high schools, and religious and other organizations like the Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts, among others. Tours for adults, such as Eckerd College’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute are customized to the group’s interests. Our education coordinator, along with a great group of volunteers, takes students on a hands-on experiential learning tour of the farm focused on sustainable agriculture and nutrition. Visitors learn the concepts of organic farming and gardening including composting, soil management, and natural pest control. Hands-on aspects include seeding, transplanting, and harvesting. Often, participants perform actual farming activities alongside regular farm employees. Sampling of the produce is an encouraged activity throughout the tour.

In the field-trip brochure you will find information about school field trips, which are available to be scheduled on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, October through May. To schedule a farm tour or a field trip, print and send in the registration form or call 813-887-4066 and leave a message for the Education Coordinator. [Note: reservations are required.] A visit to Sweetwater is great for kids, who always have a blast, and find the farm a stimulating break from the classroom learning environment. Children take away from their field-trip experience a sense of being reconnected to nature and a greater appreciation for the interrelationships that support all life. Children have voiced their amazement at seeing a carrot pulled out of the ground, realizing that produce comes from the earth, and not from a cellophane wrapped package from the grocery store. The tour reinforces basic principles of science education, such as observation and inference, and helps teachers meet the requirements defined by public school benchmarks.

Workshops and Free Lectures
Sweetwater hosts free lectures on wide ranging topics offered by knowledgeable presenters in our community. Lectures, which last about an hour, are scheduled on the second Sunday of the month during the harvest season. On the third Saturday of the month during the harvest season, Sweetwater offers workshops on many interesting topics. Workshop fees and duration vary.

Please see the Sweetwater Calendar for more information on the workshops and lectures.

Intern Program
Our intern program provides individuals interested in organic farming a truly hands-on experience at our urban CSA farm and educational facility located in Tampa, Florida. We welcome interns to live and work with us at Sweetwater from mid August through the beginning of June. We harvest fruit and vegetables October through June. The farm is a real haven for Wwoofers (willing workers on organic farms) and like-minded individuals wanting to escape the cold; it usually only freezes a few times a year here, and it never snows! Sweetwater farm is within walking distance to a library, post office, and many restaurants, and a 30 minute drive to beautiful Florida Gulf beaches. There are also many possibilities for part-time work at businesses in the area.

We ask our interns to work 25 hours a week in exchange for a spot in our intern house or camping space when the house is full, and veggies from the farm. In addition, food staples (like rice, beans, olive oil, vinegar, etc.) are provided in our communal kitchens. In exchange, we offer ample opportunities to learn about organic vegetable farming, operating a CSA, and educating the public about farming. Intern tasks include preparing beds for planting, planting, weeding, seeding, harvesting, and possibly helping with some building projects and leading educational tours of the farm. We prefer that our interns intend to stay for at least 3 months, but short-term visits can be arranged. There will be a 1-month trial evaluation period after which we will sit down and talk about whether we both think that the farm is a good place for you. We are looking for dedicated people with a genuine interest in organic agriculture, sustainable living, hard work, and fun! For more information about interning at the farm, please call 813-887-4066 or email director@sweetwater-organic.org.

Volunteer Program
We welcome those living in the Tampa Bay area to come out to the farm as volunteers to learn hands-on about organic farming. Volunteers help with all farm tasks including planting, harvesting, and weeding. Volunteers are welcome any time the farm is open, usually Wednesday through Sunday from 8:30-4:30 during the season, November - May. For more information about volunteering on the farm, please call 813-887-4066 or email director@sweetwater-organic.org.

Grant Support
In the beginning of the season of 2004, Sweetwater received a grant from the Allegany Franciscan Foundation Tampa Bay, Inc. for curriculum development. Thanks to the grant, we have been able to purchase resource materials and equipment to be used in present and future curriculum development. In the upcoming season, pending the availability of grant support, the education team is planning emphasis on additional science curriculum with visual aids, activities, and nutritional information. The school groups, teachers, and leaders will be provided a take-home package of educational materials relating to organic gardening and the curriculum information learned on the tour.