After experiencing a New Mettle Farms program elsewhere, a regular library patron requested that Sarah present at our library. Since then, we have booked almost every school presentation New Mettle Farms offers. Sarah’s enthusiasm for and knowledge about the topics she discusses makes her interactive presentations memorable. Families enjoy exploring with their own hands the materials at each activity station. These agricultural science-based programs are unique opportunities for our library families to continue learning and discovering.
Raquelle N. Deyto
Chavez Central Branch Library
Traveling Urban Ag Presentations
Hands-on discovery of agriculture-based sciences that fit in your backyard.
A Chick's Life Cycle
(Recommended for grades K-2)
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Our presentation will introduce all the stages of development and the delicate needs that mama hens are able to meet as they make sure their chicks are safely hatched. Interactive stations include exploring the full life cycle needs of birds, from the hatching environment, chick development, inherited traits, feather placement, food needs, and the exploration of poultry breeds. ​
All About Bees
(Recommended for grades K-3)
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Join us on a learning adventure to uncover the mysteries of one of our most helpful garden pals! Experience every step that honeybees take in their journey to becoming honey makers, learn what the buzz is about pollen, & how bees help plants grow. This program is given as an interactive presentation that includes insect identification, role-play, and modeling exercises. The presentation also includes a discussion of native bees and their habits compared to honey bees.​
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NOTE: This is a photo exhibit. There are no live bees involved in this presentation.
STEM: B-Pollinators & Backyard Habitat
Includes a Student Take-Home Gift: Backyard Habitat Worksheet
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(Recommended for grades 3-6)
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Learn all about our best pollinators and where they live in an engaging STEM activity highlighting the 6 Pollinating B’s: bats, beetles, birds, butterflies, bees, and the breeze. Group engineering activities will focus on what one of our B-Pollinators needs for shelter, food, and safety is and how students can create a welcoming backyard habitat of their own!
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Courses with 4 or 6-1 hr. lessons focused on supporting bees, butterflies, and birds in backyard or urban habitats are also available. Contact us to schedule your expanded learning courses. ​
Planting by Lunar Light
Includes a Student Take-Home Gift: 4-Phase Planting Worksheet
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(Recommended for grades 3-6)
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Learn how the waxing and waning moon can grow stronger plants. In our presentations, we teach how the moon is closely linked to the success of growing plants through gravity-altering water levels and rotation-boosting photosynthesis. It's just what you need to discover how to grow plants that are out of this world! Activity station concepts include the exploration of plants affected by the 4 primary phases of the moon, lunar rotation, and gravitational effects on water and tides.
STEM: The Soil Bioverse Exploration
(Recommended for grades 5-8)
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Students explore elements of the soil ecosystem as they come to understand that soil ecology is a key environmental factor in sustainable agriculture practices. Hands-on stations explore particle and soil types, soil chemistry, bacteria multiplication and energy, ground covers and composting, water and detoxification, and an introduction to key microorganisms.
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1-Hr. Science in the Garden Workshops and 6-week Regenerative Series are available for school garden programs. Recommended for grades 4-8.​
Traveling the World of Ag Science Series
Exploring agriculture-based sciences from an international and historical perspective
Thread of a Silk Worm
Includes a Student Take-Home Gift: Silk cocoon art
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(Recommended for grades K-3)
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Discover China's most coveted secret-the silkworm! These unique and amazing creatures hatch, eat, and prepare a cocoon of a single silk thread in their metamorphic journey to becoming a moth. Hear the story of Empress Si Ling-Chi and discover how silkworms are raised and silk is made in this interactive presentation. Note: Live silkworms are available from April to October, dependent upon weather.
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1-Hr. STEAM-Workshops on using insects as an international mini-livestock protein source and entomophagy are available. Recommended for grades 5-8.​
Fiber from Around the World
(Recommended for grades 3-6)
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Children will discover a diversity of fiber-producing animals from around the world and the cultural art that came from the integral care of these herds. From the Silk Road beginning in China to the Aztecs of South America, a textile adventure awaits. Activity station concepts include microscopic discovery, items made & tools, Aztec dyes and designs, and textural games.
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1-Hr. STEAM-Workshops for creating wet-felted textiles are available. Recommended for grades 3-6.
Native Peoples and Plants
Includes a Student Take-Home Gift: Hand-made rope lariat
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(Recommended for grades 3-6)
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Native American Indians- Introduce students to America’s first land stewards, the Native American Indians. Being a steward of the land was an integral part of Native American culture. Using stories and building tribal traditions, native peoples identified plants, their uses, their growth habits, and habitats, and even planned continuation strategies to assure a balanced ecological food web. Join us as we explore traditional Native Indian land stewardship techniques including an activity highlighting rope making as a creative recycling skill.
STEAM - Alchemy of Ancient Egypt
Includes a Student Take-Home Gift: Personalized papyrus bookmark
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(Recommended for grades 5-8)
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Learn about how the Ancient Egyptians used their observations of the natural world and began studying, experimenting, and developing the foundation contributions to linguistics, chemistry, medicine, engineering, and astronomy. Students will become modern-day alchemists by experiencing hands-on stations that explore each of these historically- based sciences that were once thought mystical mysteries.
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1-Hr. STEAM-Workshops for stone-based mixtures, aromatherapy infusions, and hieroglyphic linguistics are available. Recommended for grades 6-8.
Pricing
$255/ presentation
+ $25 COVID Cleaning (as requested)
Includes mileage and insurance waiver for the Sacramento, El Dorado, Amador, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne, and Merced counties of California.
* mileage calculation may be subject to change based on fuel prices and travel distance
Homeschool Families
New Mettle Farms is happy to work directly with Homeschool Charter Schools to provide services through school-hosted events and locations for students.
Contact your school program coordinator to request vendor opportunities.
Product Catalogs are being developed and will be submitted for
vendor approvals by school request.