"Agriculture & Conservation", A Joyful Acres Farm Field Trip

We firmly believe that one of our greatest responsibilities is educating the next generation on wise stewardship of the natural resources God has blessed us with.  That is why, last year, we named our field trip, "Agriculture & Conservation: Understanding God's Creation".  We have hosted many field trips, but this was our first one that focused specifically on this topic.  The response was so overwhelming that we had to schedule two (one in February 2022 and one in April 2022), with around eighty students plus their parents each time!  Read our opening presentation at the bottom of this post!  We hope you enjoy these pictures from our February field trip--praise the Lord for the beautiful weather!  It was a blessing to spend over two hours with such wonderful families!  (We offer smaller, privately-scheduled birthday party field trips, if you are interested.)

It was fun to watch all of the cars pulling in!

We loved meeting everyone as they signed in!

A future farmer 😁

Our opening schedule: Pray over field trip, Share farm rules, Sing "This Is My Father's World" together, and First presentation (pictured)

Can you see Isaac?  He's teaching everyone about gardening and beekeeping!

Erin's horse care presentation

After each animal care presentation, we bring out that particular animal(s) for everyone to interact with!

Cloud, the Falabella miniature horse, is always a favorite!

Luke has been teaching people about rabbit care ever since he was nine!

Children enjoyed gently petting baby Netherland Dwarf rabbits still in the nest box!

Learning about chicken care...one girl was thrilled to pet a chicken for the first time!

Red, our Australian Shepherd, probably enjoys field trips the most 😉.

At the end, we always offer everyone a sample of our delicious goat's milk and goat cheese!  We offer products for sale, too.

--------------------

Opening Presentation

I’m sure that many of you have been intrigued by what we have called this field trip, “Agriculture & Conservation: Understanding God’s Creation”.  It can seem like agriculture and conservation are at odds with each other, and, in many cases, they are, but it does not have to be this way.  Today, we would like to share with you how agriculture and conservation go hand in hand when we consider what it means to be wise stewards of God’s Creation.

First, we must go back to the beginning.  Genesis 2:15 tells us, “And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it”.  In the original Hebrew, “to dress” means “to work”, and “to keep” means “to guard”.  Thus, we see from this verse that agriculture and conservation were man’s first occupation.  We know that Adam and Eve had to leave the Garden after they chose to rebel against God, and that, through them, the curse of sin was brought upon this world.

However, even though the world is no longer perfect, God’s plan for us is still to use and care for it.  In the beginning of Deuteronomy chapter 22, God commands the Israelites how to conserve wildlife and how to care for their fields.  We even read in Leviticus 25:3-4 that He tells them, “Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard”.  Later in the same chapter He promises, “Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.  And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.”  So, what do we learn from these passages?  We learn that God continues to give His people the responsibility to care for natural resources properly and blesses them for obeying His commands to be Godly stewards of these things.

Centuries later in the New Testament, Jesus spoke about Creation constantly, using farming, plants, and animals to illustrate spiritual truths.  In Matthew chapter six, He told us that if God cares about providing food for the smallest bird and giving clothes to the most delicate plant, how much more does He care for us!

Now, I want to clarify the difference between conservation and environmentalism.  The definition of “conservation”, according to Merriam-Webster, is “a careful preservation and protection of something, especially, planned management of a natural resource to prevent exploitation, destruction, or neglect (i.e. water conservation or wildlife conservation)”.   The word originated from the Latin word, conserve, which means to preserve.  As we can see, conservation has been a necessary part of human existence.  We take care of this world, since it is God’s gift to us.  On the other hand, evolution is the foundation of environmentalism.  “Mother Nature” is worshiped instead of God.  We hear people saying, “Mother Nature is angry with us because we haven’t taken care of our planet”, “Mother Nature cares for us”, or “Mother Nature knows best”.  This is placing the Creation above the Creator.  Many environmentalists have gone so far as to say that, if we humans were eliminated, this world would be a better place.  We have the ability to destroy our natural resources, but it isn’t because of our existence on earth, it is because we do not care for it as God has commanded.

I think one of the best examples of a person who embraced these principles is George Washington Carver—many of you have read about him in your history books.  He is most widely known for helping farmers here in the south understand the importance of soil health.  Cotton and tobacco had been planted over and over again year after year in the same fields, depleting the soil of nutrients.  The farmers didn’t understand the importance of crop rotation and planting cover crops to put nutrients back into the soil.  George Washington Carver introduced them to peanuts and soybeans, plants that nourished the nearly destroyed soil.  He invented foods and other products to make these valuable cash crops.  He would spend hours not only in his lab, but also outside—praying as he walked through woods and fields, asking God to help him understand God’s Creation.

All of us frequently come across articles on topics along these lines...the therapy of gardening, another study proving that horseback riding helps people experiencing handicaps, how petting a dog or cat soothes tense nerves, and how walking outside boosts energy.  Have you ever wondered why?  God created us to embrace His Creation!  "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard” (Psalm 19:1-3).

One of the reasons why God’s Creation is such a valuable gift to us is because God uses Creation to reveal His attributes, otherwise invisible, to us.  It is through the beauty and majesty of God’s Creation that we begin to glimpse the glory of God.  The apostle Paul wrote, “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:” (Romans 1:20).

During this field trip, we will share with you how we are both farmers and conservationists.  We both use and seek to preserve our natural resources.  We do not use harmful pesticides and herbicides or mix chemical fertilizers as we garden.  We buy or make all-natural products that deter unwanted insects and plants.  We use our animal manure and cover crops to fertilize the soil.  We do not kill predators, which are vital to a healthy ecosystem.  Instead, we have guardian dogs to deter them from harming our animals.  These are just some examples.  We would like to encourage you to consider how you can care for God’s Creation more effectively.  Remember that everything (including us!) belongs to Him.  “The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1).

We know, from the book of Revelation, that one day Jesus will come back and destroy this earth that bears the curse of sin.  He will create a new heaven and a new earth that will be perfect.  We will be free from death, sickness, pain, weeds, harmful insects, and everything that mars His Creation.  But, until then, Jesus calls us to “Occupy till I come” (Luke 19:13).  May He find us faithfully working, serving, and caring for the natural resources He has given us.