KINGS RIVER - Kings River Elementary School students were fortunate enough to be able to attend a field trip in Orovada on Sept. 27.
The students were exposed to many different types of farming that they had not seen. Most of the students out in Kings River see alfalfa grown for hay, not for seed. The students were guided by Rick McClintick, of McClintick Farms, to many interesting and new industries of agriculture. The students were learning Social Studies (communities), mathematics and science throughout this day.
They saw how seed was combined (the name of the machine that cuts the seed) in the field, cleaned, bagged and distributed. This lesson taught the students many new math concepts, like gross, net and tare weights. Also the students had to use their prior math knowledge to figure out averages and daily seed yields.
The class also was exposed to mint oil and the process involved from cutting the mint in the field, steaming it, processing and purification testing. McClintick guided the students through the labor and machine intensive operation of a mint still.
The students also were able to see and pick potatoes in a field that the McClinticks were currently digging. Terry McClintick demonstrated the machinery and explained the process of digging potatoes, to sorting and storing them for long periods of time. The students were able to see the storage containers that held hundred of thousands of pounds of potatoes. This too was a lesson in science, math and economics.
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