Visit to a Reindeer Farm and Picking Oranges

Jul 12, 2024

Visit to a Reindeer Farm and Picking Oranges

Reindeer Farm Visit

  • Location: Leavenworth Reindeer Farm
  • Activities: Feeding reindeer, learning about reindeer
  • Key Points:
    • Reindeer lose their antlers every year, both males and females.
    • Reindeer and white-tailed deer differences: only male white-tailed deer shed antlers.
    • Reindeer food: includes reindeer food, lichen (from trees), and willow (seasonal).
    • Friendly nature of reindeer: do not bite and are generally gentle.
    • Physical features: one antler in some, large hoofs serve as snowshoes, snow shovels, paddles.
    • Interesting facts: fast-growing antlers, useful hoofs for snow and swimming.
    • Interaction with farm workers: permission to pet, feeding activities.
  • Other Animals: Encountered turkeys, chickens, and horses.

Horse and Goats at the Farm

  • Horses: Belgian draft horses and Percheron draft horses, color changes with age.
  • Goats: Learned about goat’s physical characteristics, climbing abilities, and diet.
  • Pigs: Observed pigs’ behavior, sounds, and habits.
  • Sheep: Herbivores, wool types, shearing importance, balance and diet.

Picking Oranges and Other Farm Activities

  • Picking Process: Right color (yellow-orange when ripe), pull and twist method.
  • Oranges:
    • Learning about growth stages: starts green, turns orange with maturation.
    • Orange blossoms turn into fruit through pollination.
    • Difference in types of oranges: green (unripe) vs. fully ripe for picking.
  • Juicing Oranges: Process of making fresh orange juice using juicer, health benefits (Vitamin C).

Additional Farm Activities

  • Other Fruits: Variety seen including strawberries, blueberries, carrots, onions, beets, radishes, sugarcane, celery, cauliflower, squash, bell peppers, corn, watermelons.
  • Carrots: Learning about picking process and animal feeding (bunnies).
  • Chicken Coop: Observing chickens, collecting eggs, learning about egg sizes.
  • Farm Pets: Brushing and feeding goats and pigs, observing their behavior and sounds.
  • Bouquet Making: Cutting flowers to make a bouquet, understanding different flower types and their colors.

Fun Activities on the Farm

  • Tractor Rides: Exploration of farm through tractor rides, observing different sections like pumpkin patches and sunflower fields.
  • Sensory Trail: Activities using senses, riding horses on a sensory trail, experiencing different sensory stations.
  • Hay Ride and Corn Maze: Fun farm activities, navigating through a corn maze, understanding plant growth stages.
  • Learning through play: Observing animal farms through puppet shows, making crafts like scarecrows and pumpkin carving.