By Paul Robeson, Reporter (Contact)
Wednesday, May 30, 2007

“Does pizza grow on trees or does it come from the ground?” was the first question Lori Hawes, from Hawes Farms, asked the Head Start program students from the Redding Rancheria.

One boy spoke up and said that what is grown in the ground is made into pizza. Another student in the back said, “Yes, but olives come from trees.”

The students were at Hawes Ranch, located at 21923 Dersch Road in Anderson, to visit what Hawes called a “pizza farm.” The farm is a round area, 150 feet in diameter, which is divided into “slices of pizza” sections. Each slice contains a plant or animal that is usually used in the making of pizza, such as tomatoes or olives. Slices with live pigs and cows demonstrate where ham, pepperoni and meat products on pizza come from.

During the field trip Greg Hawes, manager of Hawes Ranch, explained to the students how corn is planted, given water and sun, and ultimately harvested to make corn products.

Hawes said the farm is meant to educate children about the link between farm produce and food products in stores. By using a familiar item — pizza — in a bigger-than-life size version, students who perhaps aren’t exposed to agriculture and ranching will better understand the role these industries play in food industries.

 WHAT IS CORN FOR?
That was the question asked by Greg Hawes to Redding Rancheria pre-school classes
during their visit to the pizza farm at Hawes Ranch in Anderson.

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