Engaging and educating the local community about dairy farming, the agriculture educa-tion center was opened in 2009 on the property. The 6,000-square-foot facility has four interactive learning labs where children explore plant life cycles, the anatomy of insects and the dairy farm milking process. “It’s very important for our customers to come and learn about the products they are using,” says Allison Nichols-Clapper, execu-tive director of the Agricultural Center. Nichols-Clapper received her Master of Education from the University of North Carolina and develops the curriculum for the center. School field trips to the center are designed to align with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study in science. Students hear presentations in the learning labs, enjoy narrated hayrides around the property and greet the llama, ponies, ducks and other animals living at the center. Additionally, parents may enroll their children in day- or week-long educational camps during the summer. The facility tailors the curriculum to each season. In the fall, one of the learning labs is focused on the life of a pumpkin — from seed to anatomy. In the winter, hayrides with Santa and holi-day lights are offered to children and families. In the spring and summer months, the learning labs focus on soil composition and water filtration. An emphasis is placed on recycling and composting, as well as land conservation and sus-tainable agriculture. The milking process laboratory is offered year-round, taking children through the life of a Holstein cow, teaching them about the bottling process, milk and ice cream production. Nichols-Clapper, who grew up on a farm, says the exposure to agriculture in a hands-on environment educates children about the importance of sustainable farming practices and community connectedness. “My dedication to Maple View is out of respect to Bob, and to all farmers, my grandparents, our friends, farmers everywhere,” Nichols-Clapper says. “Without farms we would be naked and hungry.” the agriculture center www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com The farm’s 165 Holstein cows are milked around the clock. 93 WBM maple view farm
Wrightsville Beach Magazine May 2014
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