Kids Farmers' School Opens | Chigasaki City Board of Education-backed Experiential Local Education Program Learning from "Soil and Food"

The Kids Farmers' School is an experiential education program supported by the Chigasaki City Board of Education, where children learn life skills through "soil" and "food."

McKenzie House Co., Ltd. (Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture) has opened this program in collaboration with the NPO Furusato Farmers. The first session was held on April 25, 2026, launching a new learning environment with parent-child participation.

Background | Decline in Food Education and Experiential Opportunities

In recent years, children have had fewer opportunities to experience how food is made and its relationship with nature.

This school is a community-based educational program aimed at fostering: - Connection with nature - Importance of food (food education) - Life skills through agricultural experiences.

First Program Session | Touching the "World Inside the Soil"

The first session focused on the theme of "soil."

- Observation of living creatures in the soil - Mini-lecture on no-till farming - Bottling experience of Kurozempuku soybeans

Children used magnifying glasses and observation tools to observe the "world inside the soil," which they usually don't see.

Comments like "The soil is moving" and "There are so many living things here" were heard, showing their deepening interest in nature.

Program Features | Agricultural Experience × Continuous Learning

This school is not a one-off event but a continuous program consisting of four sessions, where children experience a series of processes: learning → planting → growing → caring → harvesting. By continuously engaging, children deepen their autonomy and understanding, and solidify their learning.

The second session will be held on Saturday, May 16th.

Educational Value | "Life Skills" Born from Experience

This program is an initiative to realize food education and community education through agricultural experiences.

By experientially learning the relationship between nature and food, children aim to develop abilities such as: - Autonomy - Inquisitiveness - Social skills.

Future Outlook | Towards a Regional Education Model

In the future, we aim to: - Collaborate with school education - Partner with the community - Create continuous learning opportunities and expand this into a new community-rooted education model that protects local farms and conveys the importance of food, becoming "guardians of local food."

Event Outline

Name: Kids Farmers' School Date: April 25, 2026 (1st session) Venue: Serizawa, Chigasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture McKenzie House Model Room / Furusato Farmers' Field

Organizer: McKenzie House Co., Ltd. Planning and operation: NPO Furusato Farmers Support: Chigasaki City Board of Education