Workshop: Partners not Pets

Workshop: Partners not Pets

In this one-day Workshop: Partners not Pets we will explore the role that livestock and their products and habits play in the health and productivity of the modern world and on the farm. Workshop: Partners not Pets asks the participants to look deeper at the way humans, livestock, ecologies, and soil health all belong together to ensure health and sustainability.

90 Minute Factor

In this workshop we will explore how we integrate animals and livestock and create maximum biodiversity.

• The first portion of the workshop will deal with understanding the population of livestock housed here at Mezzacello Urban Farm.
• After the intro, the workshop will allow students to interact with the animals in the livestock shed (shed 1).
• The second portion of the workshop the students will observe the animal they are working with and create a map of their living area.
• Finally, each student will release their animal into a unique ecosystem and observe.
• They will share their maps and return the animal safely to its home.

Half-Day Factor

In this expanded half-day workshop we will explore in a limited design challenge the care and integration of livestock on the farm and will create a video presentation.

• If there are enough students, have them form teams and choose a name.
• Students will choose an animal at Mezzacello and explore why they are important.
• Students will create a device that successfully highlights why their animal is important for a specific ecosystem..
• Students will work together in teams to work on a design challenge for their animal.
• Students will follow the Design Cycle to create this solution.
• Students must make a video showing their integrated ecosystem and animal in use on the farm at Mezzacello.

Full-Day Factor

In this expanded full-day workshop we will create a full design challenge dealing with how we integrate poultry, rabbits, and crickets in a stable and healthy, balanced and integrated enclosed ecosystem to solve a real-world problem at Mezzacello using the Design Cycle, and writing and recording a video presentation.

• In the first part, students must learn about the ways livestock are important on a farm.
• Students will create a device that successfully addresses the needs of livestock.
• Students must work together in teams and create a useful idea together.
• Students will explore the intersections of data, chemistry, physics, and biology to determine a path to success within GIVEN parameters.
• Students will follow the Design Cycle to create this solution.
• In the second part of this workshop, students will identify an ecosystem that could be improved with the application of life, carbon, nitrogen, O2 and water cycles and STEM to solve that problem.
• Students have the option of either designing and building a prototype of their solution or illustrating their solution at Mezzacello Urban Farm.
• Students must make a video showing their solution in use on the farm at Mezzacello or the solution that they designed to solve a real world problem.