Did you know farming is all about math and magic? Kindergartners from Donegal Primary School (DPS) learned that lesson, among others, during a field trip to Heritage Creek Farm Camp and Education Center to celebrate Earth Day, April 22.

More than 100 students explored hands-on stations throughout the working farm, located at 2126 Risser Mill Road, Mount Joy.

Education director Cindi Hughes connected with DPS when she presented a program for Groundhog Day. That led to an invitation for the students to come see the farm in action.

"The school was very excited to visit, because we're right in their backyard, and we're focused on agriculture," she said. "Our farm celebrates Earth Day every single day of the year. We're excited to be the host for our home school district."

She noted that students in Donegal's Life Skills classrooms have visited the farm before, as well as food service interns from the district and students in the cooking club.

"This is our first time having a full grade level out to the farm," Hughes said. Half of DPS' kindergartners visited on April 22, and half came to the farm on April 29.

Despite the cool and rainy weather on April 22, the students enjoyed interactive activities throughout the property.

"At one station in the greenhouse, we talked about propagation, how we plant seedlings and the needs of the plants," Hughes shared. "We also had them do a planting activity. They planted peas into pots to take home with them so they can see the full cycle of the peas."

At another station, Hughes led students through a Spring StoryWalk, an informational path filled with props and panels. The weather prevented the students from walking the path, but Hughes conducted a program inside a shelter, reading a story she's written called "Poppy and Pals Plant Peas."

She talked about compost, the importance of healthy soil, the use of simple machines and how companion gardening works.

"Companion gardening is when you grow things that are friends, that help each other," she told the students. "Potatoes like to grow with peas."

She demonstrated some of the magic that happens on the farm, pulling a string on a pea pod to reveal the secret inside - tiny peas that will multiply into more pea plants.

Keeping the students engaged throughout the day, Hughes employed her own brand of childlike wonder, telling the kids that the pea tendrils are the plant's "fingers" that climb up a trellis, and explaining that when a farmer plants a potato, she plants it with the "eye to the sky."

She also discussed pollinators and their importance on the farm.

At an animal station, students learned about the creatures that call the farm home, including chickens, ducks, goats, bunnies and sheep. Hughes explained how the animals are not livestock but are instead companion animals the farm staff uses to teach.

"The two things we do produce off of our farm that are animal products are eggs and wool," she said. "Our farm is a hands-on experience of agriculture on a working farm. It's an educational farm that's set up for visitors to be here, seeing what we do."

A fiber-arts station demonstrated how wool can be spun into yarn before the students worked with a partner to create "twiddles," or friendship bracelets made by twisting the yarn.

Michele Emenheiser, executive director of the Mount Joy Area Chamber of Commerce, brought Mount Joy Minnie with her to the festivities. She shared facts about the groundhog's diet with the children.

Hughes said her memories of working in her family's garden drive her development of stations for the day's program and other public events the farm hosts.

"Our main goal at the farm is to inspire people through agriculture," she said. "We'd like to encourage people to go into the field of agriculture, and that's a very wide net. You could be a dairy farmer. You could be a veterinarian. You could be an accountant. There's a wide scope, and we need people to step into these agricultural roles."

Hughes opens her farm four times a year - once in each season - for the public to see firsthand how it operates. On Saturday, May 9, the farm will host its Plant Sale and Spring Open House from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase plants grown on the farm, including tomatoes, peppers, herbs, vegetables and annual flowers. Activities for the day will include a self-guided Enviro-Trail; an opportunity to meet the farm animals, including the newest arrivals, spring chicks; exploration of the creek and woodland barnyard; a chance to create on an outdoor Earth loom; and more.

"We're sitting in a very rich agricultural area," Hughes said. "We're hoping when kids visit us, they're learning about the farm and developing a good foundation to choose good foods and try new foods. We like to talk about the ripple effect, that hopefully they'll grow to become good consumers, too."

For more information on Heritage Creek Farm Camp and Education Center, visit https://heritagecreekfarmcamp.com.