Bowers School Farm Posts News Detail

Come inside for a cup of hot cocoa and polish up on your techniques and know-how during our "Handy Horse" wintertime Saddle Social at Bowers Farm Learning Center. We'll share techniques through exercises, videos, and games. As weather permits, we'll also spend time in the barn for some hands-on time with our (very fuzzy!) horses.  Additionally, our "Horses Indoors & More" series allows hands-on horse interaction at Stillwater Stables in Ortonville where you can meet new horses and work on your Level 2 and Level 3 skills inside an indoor arena.  Both event series are hosted by Friends of Bowers Farm - Community Horse Program and are for ages 8 - adult (8-12 year old must be accompanied by an adult). To sign-up, go to: https://friendsofbowersfarm.org/events

Winter Park is coming in just 7 weeks!  We cannot wait to celebrate winter as a community and enjoy sledding, skating, and concessions.  As part of winter park this year, we want to remind you that this is a perfect “meet up” location for your school group, youth group, or even your gaggle of cousins to come hang out in our heated Farm Activity Building or ice skate under the lights.  Admission this year is FREE. We will be open on Saturdays and Sundays (January 18 - February 9).  See you on the hill! 

Conant 2nd Graders have been assisting the Bowers Team with a BIG new project! The Bowers Farm Children's Discovery Garden is off to a great start and thanks to these dedicated designers, we have a multitude of fabulous ideas for components in the garden.

The project kicked off with a visit from Ms. Brooke & Ms. Amy and an inspiration video created by Dr. Norm Lownds (curator of the MSU 4H Childrens’ Garden) to get the creative spark kindled. Then, the students brainstormed their ideas. Next, the students put pencils to paper and drew their garden map, wrote about their ideas, and used design “tools” from the MYSTERY Box to fine tune their garden design. 

Brooke & Amy returned a couple weeks later for the students to share their process and their pictures, ideas and thoughts. Common elements began to emerge. Seems lots of second graders like mazes, bridges, treehouses, stepping stones and FOOD! There was a lot of whimsy and humor, animals and insects, and so much more.

The completed designs will be submitted to Dr. Lownds who will use them to directly impact the future design. Follow the exciting progress of our Children's Discovery Garden online which will be made possible through the generosity of donors in our community.  If you would like to support the garden project, visit our web link or reach out to bowersfarm@bloomfield.org for ways you can help!

Hi! My name is Sharon Ray. Before moving to Michigan and joining the staff at Bowers School Farm,  I worked for 24 years as an educator. During my husband’s military career, I worked as a homeschool educator. When he retired, I went to work in the public school sector. Finally, prior to relocating to Michigan, I accepted a position at a small private school.

In each of these settings, one thing was clear to me. Students need additional practice that reinforces the skills they are learning in the classroom. Through the years, I began compiling a list of activities and websites that provided this additional practice. At the beginning of each school year, I gave the parents of my students a copy of this list and encouraged them to explore these with their children.

While holidays and summer vacations are much needed breaks from the classroom, working with your child to keep concepts fresh helps them retain what is being taught. 

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some of these activities and websites from this list. Some are free, while others offer trial periods. I hope you find these beneficial. These may also come in handy on those “I don’t have anything to do!” days.

Check out the website Funbrain.com. This site is for students grades Pre-K - 8th. It is chocked full of math and reading activities, reading passages, videos, and games.

Looking for a bright and festive side dish? This massaged kale salad recipe is a perennial hit. It’s the perfect time to use the fall brassica, which is especially sweet now that we’ve had our first frosts. The raspberry chipotle balsamic dressing brings a bit of heat and a bit of sweetness, then add your favorite toppings and you’ve got a winner. 

Totally delicious. Enjoy! Amy Cardin, Farm Guide

Massaged Kale Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 bags kale pieces (Trader Joes) or two large bunches of fresh kale, torn into small pieces and all hard stems removed
• 2-3 cups thinly shredded red cabbage
• Good balsamic vinegar
• Good olive oil
• Raspberry Chipotle Sauce (have also used apricot chipotle sauce and it was good)
• ½ shallot, finely minced
• 1-2 cloves garlic, pressed, OR garlic paste in tube works well too
• Toppings of your choice:
• Shaved parmesan cheese (or goat cheese crumbles)
• Toasted pine nuts (or roasted pepitas)
• Walnut pieces (or pecans)
• Pomegranate seeds

Procedure:

1. Place kale pieces into a large, lidded bowl (we’ll add the cabbage later)
2. Whisk together about 3T each of olive oil and balsamic in a bowl or glass measuring cup, massage into kale until well coated.
3. Place in fridge for several hours. (This breaks down and tenderizes the kale)
4. Place about ¼ cup raspberry chipotle dressing/marinade, 1T balsamic vinegar, shallot and garlic into a small lidded container, mix well.
5. Keep in fridge until ready to use

When Ready to Serve:

• Combine massaged kale and cabbage and toppings of your choice, add dressing to taste, toss and enjoy!
• **This salad keeps well over-night even with the dressing on it. The kale just continues to get more tender. 
• **I also sometimes put toppings in small bowls on the side in case of vegans or nut allergies.