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I worked with Neal Bass, was a farmer and that I worked with him in the summers. He would be the farmer I would conduct my three week internship with. I visited Virginia Fork several times because they started the process to treat peanuts to be used as seeds and later during harvest season. I visited several retail businesses in June to see how they sell peanuts. I interviewed Hal Burns from Hampton Farms and Mike from Sandyland Peanuts. I attended the NC Peanut Growers Association meeting in June, where I met Ashley Collins. I learned that NCPGA conducts programs in market research, market promotion, consumer education, and other activities relating to the sale, marketing, and distribution of peanuts and peanut products. I learned so much about peanut flavors, the history of peanuts and how technology is used to produce peanuts!

My work with Neal did not start until September, but I took pictures throughout the summer to show the growth which is a challenging process because they grow beneath the ground. My nephews and I decided to grow peanuts in a clear plastic container. This would help us see the peanut growing. You should have seen my students’ faces when they saw the peanuts in the container. I had one student dig up a peanut plant from a field behind his house and bring it in the next day to show the class he had peanuts too!

Through writing the Ag Mag, I looked at the standard course of study for grades K-8. This topic is important to students and teachers because we live in a rural community and farming is a big part of the way we live. Each year, the second grade at White Oak has a Farm Day field trip with Ag Extension. I helped Camyrn Byrum organize the field trip. I knew the Ag Mag would be a great piece to add. The Ag Mag will be a physical paper that each kid will receive for years to come as they learn about peanut production in Chowan County and North Carolina. At Farm Day, we also visit the Cotton Gin to learn about cotton production in Chowan County. Wouldn’t it be cool to have another Kenan Fellow from Chowan County produce an Ag Mag on cotton in the near future? Farm Day allows our students to learn about science, history, math, reading, technology, and economics. My work as a Kenan Fellow has strengthened my ability and my teammates’ ability to truly integrate our standard course of study into a topic our students can relate to.

I have a cohort of teachers from the mountains, Charlotte, and Durham that I meet with monthly. In addition, we have exchanged postcards about our areas. This allows my students to learn about different parts of our state. We will be having a zoom meeting on March 16 to learn about Oyster Farming from a teacher at Carteret Community College.
I have also shared ways that I teach in my room. I was able to help one teacher write grants to get new technology in her classroom and they have given me ideas to help in my classroom. Being a Kenan Fellow has strengthened my teacher leadership. For instance, I was asked to give a presentation this summer at the Trinity Center in Pine Knoll Shore to some teachers from Durham Public Schools. In December, I attended the NC Farm Bureau Convention in Raleigh to showcase what I had learned. I am proud to be a Kenan Fellow representing northeastern North Carolina.

I have completed the Ag Mag. It is now at the printer. I will have a physical copy by April 1st.

The cool night air and freshly dug peanuts are what make fall. I love fall with the smell of harvest season. This year’s peanut season is a little special to me. I have closely watched the peanut crop from Beech Fork Farms. I started in May with the planting. Now it is harvest time.

I learned that peanuts have flowers and are self-pollinated—the peanut plant will grow a flower, which is pegging.  The peanut embryo is in the tip of the peg, which penetrates the soil. Then, the embryo turns horizontal to the soil and begins to grow, taking the form of a peanut. I was able to take a peanut plant and grow it in a clear plastic container which allowed us to see what happened beneath the soil.  We watched the roots grow and saw the peanut “pegging” into a peanut pod. Then, I took the container to class. When I pulled the peanut plant out and my student saw the peanuts, their faces showed their excitement. We had six peanuts pods. We plan to take those peanuts and see if we can grow more in our classroom. Some students say no because we are not farmers. Others say yes, we can because we will have help from a farmer. We should see what happens in 140 days.

I’m so excited about being selected as a Kenan Fellow. I am pleased to be partnering with the NC Farm Bureau, Chowan County Farm Bureau, and Local Peanut Farmers. I will be creating an Ag Mag on peanuts which is a non-fiction text for grades K-8. It will feature sections on types of peanuts, history, career profiles, and other suggested activities. I can’t wait for my students and other classes to learn about peanuts.
My internship experience has been educational. I have learned new information about peanuts that I did not know. I took one week and visited three different retail businesses. Some of them start the peanut process in the field and continue to the retail business. Other companies buy from Sugarland or Hampton Farm to create gourmet peanuts (chocolate-covered, cajun, salted, and plain in-shell peanuts). I started working with Neal Bass with Beech Fork Farm in late April. I watched the planting process and have taken pictures of the peanuts’ growth during these past months. I have learned that bears and deer love to eat peanuts. Once the peanuts are starting growing, the animals start eating the peanuts. It is hard to see the change happening because peanuts grow underground. I wanted to capture the peanut cycle. I decided to dig up one of the plants and place it in a clear plastic container to see the growth of the peanuts. We will see what happens. I will continue working with Neal and his family through the harvest season to see the whole process.

Did you know that peanuts have flowers?

Yes, they do have flowers. Yellow flowers appear around the lower part of the plant about 40 days after planting. When the flowers pollinate themselves, the petals fall off as the peanut ovary begins to form. There is a budding ovary on the plant. This budding ovary is called a “peg.”  The peg  grows down and away from the plant forming a small stem which extends to the soil.  The peanut embryo is in the tip of the peg, which penetrates the soil.

KFP Summer Institute was terrific. I was able to meet and get to know my peer review team. We are from various parts of North Carolina.  We have made plans to merge our students and plan to zooms with the other classes.

Summer Institute gave me new ideas for building relationships with my students for this upcoming school year. I enjoyed the sessions on Project Based Learning. I can’t wait to create lessons and have my students work and collaborate. Social and Emotional Learning Strategies sessions gave me some new approaches to try. As I start to think about my upcoming class, I will use these questions “How do you want students to feel when entering the classroom? Do they feel they have a Safe, Home, and Comfortable environment?”. 

Through the Kenan Fellowship, I will help students learn beyond my four walls, school building, and even county. This upcoming is going to be a great year.