Intergenerational Learning at UBC Farm:

1
Intergenerational Learning at UBC Farm
Fostering Human and Environmental Health
Linda Peterat, Jolie Mayer-Smith, and Oksana
Bartosh Department of Curriculum Studies,
Faculty of Education, University of British
Columbia, Vancouver BC Canada V6T 1Z4

• PURPOSE
• To understand the mutual learning that occurs for
  children and elders in an intergenerational
  environmental education project.
• To understand the health benefits that can result
  from an intergenerational environmental education
  project and the ways these benefits can be
  facilitated and sustained.

INFORMING PERSPECTIVES Rachel Carson wrote that
she would (if possible) endow every child with "a
sense of wonder so indestructible that it would
last throughout life." However, "if a child is to
keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs
the companionship of at least one adult who can
share it, rediscovering with him the joy,
excitement, and mystery of the world we live
in. Ecological citizenship can be fostered
through an apprentice type relationship with
adult mentors in a community of practice (Wenger,
1998). McNamee (1997) claims that ecological
caring develops gradually over time through
caring interpersonal relationships in families.
We sought to replicate these relationships in the
intergenerational partnering of community elders
with farming backgrounds and children. While it
is accepted that intergenerational programs
contribute to the learning of both the young and
elders (Kaplan, 2004), there are few theorizing
efforts to characterize the nature of this
learning.
SETTING The project now in its fifth year is
located at UBC Farm, an urban farm on the margins
of the university campus. Each year three classes
of grade 4 to 7 students come to the farm on 12
occasions during September to June and work in
small groups with community elders and UBC
students (farm friends) to plant, nurture and
harvest food crops and flowers. The
teachers collaborate to create ways of
integrating their classroom curriculum with the
childrens learning at the farm. At the farm the
children learn sustainable food growing
practices, how to grow and care for their
gardens, and nutritious food preparation. The
community elders share their expertise, farming
histories and experiences. The children also
learn about other UBC Farm activities including
bee-keeping, chickens and egg production, the
eco-systems of the market garden and adjacent
forest.

METHODS
Interviews and focus groups with community elders
were conducted in the first, second, and fifth
years of the project. The children were
interviewed at the beginning, middle and end of
the project each year. Students who participated
in the project in the first two years were
recently interviewed to assess the long term
impacts of the Farm experience. Insights included
here are drawn primarily from recent data.
FINDINGS
1. Food growing is a hands-on, wholistic bodily
practice that contributes to all facets of human
health and well-being. You get outside and you
are doing something active. (farm friend,
2007) Being outside and close to nature is
definitely a health benefit for me
psychologically its a source of strength for
me and a sharing kind of thing thats what I
like to talk to people about. (farm friend,
2007) As well as the physical health of eating
things you grow there is also a real spiritual
health and emotional health benefit that goes
with it. (farm friend, 2007) Instead of just
sitting there and learning from a book, you are
doing it and experiencing it first hand. Its
better. (student, 2004) UBC Farm is just a magic
place. (farm friend, 2007) Being outside and
getting the birds around youIt is beautiful out
there. (farm friend, 2007) I really like being
outside and like being able to be one with the
ground. I like just being outside and being a
part of nature (student, 2004)
2. Multi-generational groups and the
relationships that develop within them are rich
in learning and rewards for both the children and
the adults. The caring social relationships that
develop are a significant context to develop
caring for plants, living things, and the
earth. I really like the connection and the
relationship that develops over the year with
those 3 kids. I really look forward to seeing
them each time and a nice bond comes from working
together. (farm friend, 2007) What I get out of
the project mostly is watching the kids
enthusiasm and the way they get along. (Farm
friend, 2007) At first we were kind of
uncomfortable with him but now we just talk and
stuff. Sometimes we talk about school and then he
tells us tips about stuff. At first I thought
itd be boring but then I liked hanging out with
Don and getting to know him. And, I never liked
farming before. So I really like it now.
(student, 2004) 3. Food and food growing is
extremely powerful in facilitating understanding
of the interconnections between humans and the
earth and the inseparability of human and
environmental health. When you pull something
out of the land and put it in your mouth it is a
super obvious cue that it becomes part of me and
maybe I should take care of the land it comes
from, the air and water and all the things that
filter into the soil. Its a very tangible,
non-abstract way of experiencing that miracle or
sense of awe and wonder. (farm friend,
2007) Through planting you learn lots of lessons
of life. You learn that you have to be
cooperative with other people in order to get
things that you want. In order to grow a plant
you have to work with others. It teaches you
about the environment and how it interacts with
things around it like how the insect interacts
with the plant and how the plant interacts with
us and how we really depend on each other.
(student, 2004)

We gratefully acknowledge the support
of Investment Agriculture Foundation of British
Columbia B.C. Youth in Agriculture
Foundation Vancouver School Board Rona Home and
Garden McLean
Foundation Canadian Home Economics
Foundation VanCity Imperial Oil Foundation NSERC
- PromoScience
DASH/MEIA Canadian Tire Burnaby Coe
Lumber University Neighborhoods Association The
Natural Gardener
Farm Credit Canada Hampton Place Fund Rex
Boughton Endowment Fund Hewer Home Hardware
Kwantlen University College Fashion Program
Department of Curriculum Studies and Faculty of
Land and Food Systems, UBC John H. M. Doris D.
Andrews Research Development Award Adult
Learning Knowledge Centre/Canadian Council on
Learning
Contact linda.peterat_at_ubc.ca or
jolie.mayer-smith_at_ubc.ca. Visit
our website at http//www.cust.educ.ubc.ca/landedl
earningproject/index.htm