Agri-education is a word not found in the traditional dictionary, but Indian Creek Farmstead in Petersburg offers a vivid interactive definition. With the goal of teaching schoolchildren about life on the farm, Indian Creek offers presentations, exhibits and other focused activities.
John Lyons, co-owner of the farmstead, defines agri-education as the education and knowledge sharing of agricultural production.
“I like to think of the term in a vertical way, which includes the teaching of how seeds are produced, the production of commercial crops and what the crops end up being,” he said.
For example, alfalfa seeds turn into alfalfa hay which goes mostly to the dairy industry that is fed to the dairy animals, Lyons explained. A bale of hay is sometimes described as “ice cream in the making,” he added.
It is that kind of information and a lot more that the owners of Indian Creek desire to share with others and especially with students during school outings to the farmstead, which is a partnership between two brothers and their spouses, John and Judy Lyons and Larry and Janet Lyons.
The 96-acre farmstead is named after the creek that flows below it and is located within the township of the same name, Lyons explained. It includes an 1800-era farmstead consisting of an old barn, greenery and farm shop, purchased by the Lyons family in 2002. The family obtained additional land adjacent to the farmstead in 2008 and thus named the site Indian Creek Farmstead.
Although both brothers are business partners who work together to run the farm, their focus is different. John Lyons says that his brother, Larry, is a lifetime central Illinois farmer who is very knowledgeable about farming and animal husbandry, so he works mostly with the farming aspect of the business.
John Lyons, on the other hand, takes charge of the agri-education portion of the business because of his teaching background, which includes 31 years with Pioneer-Dupont Seed Company and a current position as a consultant with Monsanto Bio-Ag. He too was born and raised in central Illinois but lived in California and Iowa.
Although just in its third year of operation, the farm hosted more than 600 children from various schools last year. “We started strictly as a pumpkin farm but love the experience of having schoolchildren coming out and learning,” said Judy Lyons.
She explained that the farmstead encourages children, especially those age eight and above, to participate in all kinds of classroom and hands-on activities. As an example, she tells of a recent guest presenter, Robert Church of the Sangamon County Historical Society, who explained and demonstrated historical land surveying of the Lincoln era while allowing hands-on participation.
“We have the ability to have historians come to the farm to teach history and provide farming demonstrations,” she said. “Indian Creek is more than a farm. It’s an experience. It has buildings, crops, pastures, scenic views and the opportunity for a lot more.”
Not many kids live on farms anymore but this gives them the opportunity to experience farm life, she commented.
The Lyons family feels so strongly about providing agri-education for children that they are willing to develop programs according to a teacher’s request.
If teachers offer suggestions based on their learning plans, on topics such as genetically modified organisms or organic food production, then the farm can put together a curriculum tailored for students and adults, Lyons explained.
Also Lyons plans to provide information about cultivated crops produced in other areas of the country. Agri-education of the Midwest seems “monocultural” in that children are exposed only to corn and soybeans production, he said.
He wants children of this area to become familiar with such crops as cotton and snack foods like almonds, pistachios and raisins, learning their origin and the intricacies of how they are produced.
Indian Creek includes other on-site educational opportunities such as vintage ag equipment from 1890-1960 including restored tractors, farm spreaders and wooden farm wagons. There is also a restored barn, restored granary, a bee pollination site, orchard tree production, mushroom farming and more.
Along with being an agri-education facility, the Indian Creek Farmstead also provides “family friendly” agri-tainment, defined as farm-based entertainment that include activities such as hayrides, pony rides and cornfield maze contests.
“I like for education to be fun and want people to visit the farm and to have fun and hope that there’s education incorporated along the way,” Lyons said.
Indian Creek offers various activities during its agri-tainment available Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 13 through Oct. 31. The list of activities includes pre-picked or u-pick pumpkins, a barnyard play area, corn maze and wagon ride.
More information is available via the website: www.indiancreekfarmstead.com.
LaVern McNeese of Springfield is a wife, mother and grandmother who writes to inform and to improve.
This article appears in Capital City Parent July 2014.
