OXFORD – Boxberry School students recently went on a field trip to Carter’s Farm as part of the learning expedition on health and nutrition. Jessica (Carter) Person, who teaches part time at Boxberry and will run Carter’s Farm this summer, talked about organic and sustainable local farming practices, which the Carter family uses.

The kids got down and dirty, planted rows of tomatoes, basil and potatoes.

Sustainable agriculture produces food without depleting the earth’s resources or polluting its environment.

Local farms have contributed to the understanding of what sustainable systems are, and each of them shares a vision of “farming with nature,” an agro-ecology that promotes biodiversity, recycles plant nutrients, protects soil from erosion, conserves and protects water, uses minimum tillage and integrates crop and livestock enterprises on the farm.

Organic practices must attend to the following: fertilizer, pest control and weed control.

For more information about Carter’s Farm and their agricultural practices, call 539-4848. For more information about the school, call 743-9700 or visit www.boxberryschool.org.