Design and Model Your Dream Farm [4-H Activity]

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Have you always dreamed of having your own farm? This activity challenges you to design the farm of your dreams!

Activity Steps

Choose the type of farm you want to have. For example, do you want to raise animals or vegetables or both? Do you want to have one species of animal or many species? Fruits or vegetables or both? Do you want to have a big farm and raise food for others, or a small farm for your own use? Maybe you don’t want to produce food at all, but want to provide a service such as dog training or horse boarding. This is your facility – design what you would most like to do.
Take a video tour of a farm (or more than one) for ideas about design (and maybe see some things you don’t want to do!). We have found some video tours for you, or you may find your own. See the links below under “Farm Video Tours” for the videos we found.
Make a diorama (3-dimensional model) of your dream farm. Feel free to let your imagination run wild. Follow the guidelines below for your diorama.
Make a “report” of your farm that shows all the facilities and tells about the features you have. You can make a video and narrate it to show the farm diorama, or you can take pictures and write captions for your pictures. You will see three example reports at the end of this challenge.
Submit your report (video or pictures with captions) via email to: Mary Davis by May 31, 2020. Optional: Share your video or photos of your diorama in the NH 4-H Community Group on Facebook! We will randomly choose one diorama that meets the guidelines below from each age group to receive a gift certificate for 4-H merchandise! Age groups are Cloverbud (age 5-7), Junior (age 8-10), Intermediate (age 11-13), and Senior (age 14+).
Keep your diorama in a safe place for fairs or demonstrations.

Check out these example reports to give you some ideas of the dioramas you can do:

Small mixed-use barn diorama report example (with sheep, swine, and a donkey)
City homestead diorama report example (with chickens and vegetables)
Horse barn diorama example

Guidelines

Your farm diorama must be made entirely from repurposed items and items you have at home (no shopping). The exceptions are for paint, markers, and fasteners such as glue and tape.
Your design may include indoor facilities, outdoor facilities, or both. It does not need to include the entire farm. For example, you may show the barn, but not the pastures. It also does not need to be a “traditional” farm. If you want to grow flowers, design a kennel or dog agility facility, that is fine.
If you have animals, show the animals in the facilities or explain in your report what animals live there. If you are growing plants, show the plants or explain in your report what you are growing.
Make sure to include things every farm needs, like water sources, fire extinguisher(s), and feeding and watering facilities for animals.
It is optional to include “luxury” items such as lounge areas for humans, and swimming pools for animals.

Farm Video Tours

Homesteads

A “little of everything” to feed a family and maybe have surplus to sell.

Homestead in NY with veggies, fruits (wild and cultivated), goats and more
Sow the Land Homestead in North Carolina - 1.5 acres with laying hens, meat birds, vegetables, fruit (starts with a brief tour inside house then goes outside)