Farm Etiquette - 5 Rules to Remember

Here are our five rules for working together successfully on the farm. These ideas can also help inform how you explore your own local environment to help you stay safe, have fun, make friends, and learn heaps!

While this guide was prepared for younger learners, it is relevant for visitors to the farm of all ages and purposes. Please read through on your own or with your group before visiting the farm, to help be best prepared to maintain the health and safety of yourself and others while visiting with us.
Objectives
  • Visitors will identify the five main rules regarding behaviour expectations in the garden
 
  • Visitors will use critical thinking and language skills to consider and communicate their ideas with regard to the reasoning behind each rule
 
  • Visitors will demonstrate appropriate behaviour when visiting the garden
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Overview
Key Words
Garden Etiquette
  • compact
  • fluffy soil
  • encourage
  • ​pores
  • respect
  • ​responsibility​
  • ​sharing
  • sun smart
  • hydrated
  • dehydrated
  • perspective​​
​1. Feet

Our first rule asks us to think about where we put our feet.

Q: Where and how do you think we should use our feet on the farm?

​In the garden, it is important to stick to the paths and off the garden beds.

We ask that you remember to stay on the ground, on the paths, and that you walk rather than run when moving around the garden.


Q: Why do you think this is so important? What reasons can you think of?
​
Here are our top 3 reasons:

A) To keep the garden soil nice and fluffy

Every time you step on soil, it compacts the soil, pushing it down and making it hard. The more firm that the soil gets, the fewer pores there are for air and water to move through the soil. This means that it can get too squished for worms or other creatures to live in the soil and too difficult for plant roots to breath, drink, and grow. So by keeping our feet on the path and off of the garden soil, we make it easier for worms and plant roots to live and grow. This is why gardeners love fluffy soil!

B) To be safe and avoid stumbling or tripping

The garden paths are like roads for our feet. They are the safest places to walk when moving around the garden. By walking off of the path or moving too quickly through the garden, you run the risk of stumbling over objects, uneven surfaces, causing damage to the garden and possibly even hurting yourself or others. This is why we build paths and stick to them!

C) To protect the plants growing in the garden

Of course, the gardens beds are full of life! So by sticking to the designated paths we make sure that we don't disturb or harm the many things that are living and growing below and above the soil. Even if the bed looks empty, we know that it is still important to protect the fluffy soil and the creatures living in it. Plus, you never know, there may be seeds under the soil, just waiting to sprout! This is why we protect the garden by walking on the paths.
2. Hands

Our second rule asks us to think about how we use our hands.

Q: How do you think we should use our hands on the farm?
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We totally encourage you to explore with your hands by touching and feeling different things around the garden. But it is important to be careful, gentle​, and respectful of the things that we handle in the garden.

We ask that you remember not to pick anything off of plants, trees or the ground, except with permission. Always try your best to put anything you pick up in the garden back where you found it once you are through.


Q: Why do you think this is so important? What reasons can you think of?

Here are our top 3 reasons:

A) To protect the plants growing in the garden

As we mentioned before, the garden is full of life! Each plant and tree is part of the living environment that we work hard to build and protect. We know that beautiful flowers, leaves, fruits and vegetables can all be really tempting to pick! But we don't want to disrupt or harm any of the living organisms by tearing parts of them off. Of course, there are instances where it is okay to pick parts of plants for harvest or to investigate more closely with our five senses, and we rely on the garden staff to let us know when this is okay.

B) To be safe and handle the right things

Most things in the garden are harmless and work together to create a healthy ecosystem. But it is possible that handling some plants can cause problems for us, like itching and other allergic reactions, or be otherwise dangerous to ourselves and others. This is why its important to be careful what plants we handle and not to pick from them unless we know that it is okay.

C) To leave the garden how we found it, for others to enjoy after us

Remember that everything in the garden is part of the living environment that we work hard to build and protect. By not picking and leaving things where we find them, we protect the hard work of the gardeners and make it possible for other people to explore and enjoy the garden after us!
3. Animals & Insects

Our third rule asks us to think about how we interact with animals and insects.

​Q: How do you think we should behave toward animals and insects on the farm?
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It is important that we behave with respect towards all of the animals and insects that share our space. This can mean staying calm and being gentle when you are nearby or interacting with any animals or insects on site.


Q: Why do you think this is so important? What reasons can you think of?

Here are our top 3 reasons:

A) To be safe around the animals and insects

Most things on the farm are harmless and work together with us in some way to create a healthy environment. However, animals and insects don't communicate like we do, so it can be easy to make them uncomfortable or even scare them if we are not careful. When an animal is frightened, it is more likely to be dangerous and cause harm to itself or to us. This is why it is important to be respectful, calm, and kind when we approach and interact with them.

B) To protect the animals and insects

By behaving respectfully towards the animals and insects, we help keep them comfortable and happy. This protects their health and helps teach them that we are friends and fellow gardeners who all work together to create a successful farm. This is also why it is important to be respectful, calm, and kind when we approach and interact with them.

C) To let the animals and insects get back to work

All of the animals and insects have their own role and special jobs to do in the garden. So they are usually too focused on their own work to worry about us! It can help to remember the idea that: "If you don't bother them, then they won't bother you!" So the more we respect their space, the better they can carry on seeing to their responsibilities around the garden, and us to ours!
4. Safety & Sun Smart

Our fourth rule asks us to think about how to be safe and protect ourselves from the sun.

​Q: What are some things you can do to stay safe and be sun smart in the garden?
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There is always a lot happening on the farm, so it is important that we behave in a way that keeps ourselves and others safe. This includes how we move around the site, interact with things in the garden, and protect ourselves from the elements.


Q: Why do you think this is so important? What reasons can you think of?

Here are our top 3 reasons:

A) To avoid harm to ourselves and others

Because there is so much happening on the farm, it is up to all of us to take responsibility for our actions and look out for the safety of others. This can mean being mindful of where we go, how fast we move, what we do, how careful we are, and how kind we are both on the farm and after we leave! If everyone minds their own behaviour and helps look out for one another, then we can all stay safe and best enjoy the wonders of the environment!

B) To protect ourselves from the sun

Of course the farm and gardens are outside, which means that we are much more exposed to the sun on site than in a building or classroom. We know that too much sun can cause us to overheat, feel dizzy or tired, and damage our skin. This is why it is important that we take a few simple steps to protect ourselves from the sun:

→ Slip on protective clothing, with long sleeves and legs
→ Slop on sunscreen, and reapply as needed
→ Slap on a broad-brimmed hat, to carry some shade around with you
→ Seek shade every now and then, to take a break from the sun
→ Slide on sunglasses, to protect your eyes if necessary

C) To stay healthy and hydrated

When we get hot, we sweat, which means our body is losing water to try to cool us down. So, it is important to refill your tank by drinking water. Staying hydrated means keeping enough water in your system to keep you cool, calm, and collected. We need to avoid becoming dehydrated, or not having enough water in your system, because this can make you dizzy, tired, grumpy, and even sick. One simple step you can take is to bring a water bottle with you to the farm that you can refill as you need, to help make sure you stay hydrated!
5. Speak Up

Our fifth rule reminds us to ask questions and share ideas.

Q: What do you think we mean by 'speak up'? What are some good ways of sharing your thoughts?
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We believe that one of the most important parts of working together on the farm is sharing our ideas and asking questions. So we want to encourage everyone to speak their mind when they have an idea, to ask questions when they are curious, and to seek help if they are unsure of something or need a helping hand.

In order for everyone's ideas to be heard, questions to be answered, and help to be received, it is also important the we take turns speaking together and are respectful of each other in any discussion.


Q: Why do you think this is so important? What reasons can you think of?

Here are our top 3 reasons:

A) To collect our ideas and come up with new ones

Everyone has a unique perspective. This means that even when we talk about the same topic, each person has a different angle and their own ideas about it. Sharing these different ideas and collecting them together helps us all to broaden our personal perspective by adding other ideas to our own and coming up with new ideas that we might never have thought of by ourselves. What a cool way to benefit from each other and to learn together!

B) To help everyone learn and understand

Because everyone has a unique perspective, different people learn things in different ways and at different paces. So again, when we collect all of our ideas together and let people ask all kinds of questions, it can help us balance our pwn personal learning style with the styles of others, by exposing us to new perspectives, or new approaches that we might not have considered before. This way, if someone is unsure or doesn't quite understand, they can feel comfortable to ask for support and understanding from the group.

C) To keep everyone safe

In order for everyone to look after themselves and each other, it is important that everyone understands what is going on and what is expected of them. It can be discouraging, upsetting, and even dangerous if people don't understand what is going on, are unsure of what to do, or don't know how they should behave in a certain setting. This is why it is important that everyone feels comfortable to ask questions, so that we can all support each other to be aware, work effectively together, and stay safe. Kia ora!
Following Up

Phew! Good on you for going through and thinking carefully about each of these rules for working together on the farm!

Check out the follow up questions below to help organise your thoughts and reflect on your ideas.


Q1: What ideas did you come up with for each of these rules?


Q2: Did you think about some of the same things that we thought about in our top 3 reasons for each?


Q3: What do you think of our reasons? Do you agree with them? Do you disagree with anything? If so, can you explain why?


Q4: Did you come up with any other important reasons for any of them that we didn't include?


Awesome! Now the next time we see you on the farm, we'll all be ready to work together, stay safe, and have fun! Ngā mih nui