By Isidora, Adaire Fit Fish reporter | Adaire sixth and seventh graders took a trip to Fox Chase Farm in Philadelphia in October. Fox Chase Farm is an educational livestock farm run by the School District of Philadelphia. A livestock farm is a farm that raises animals, according to Britannica.com.

They have lots of animals, such as chickens, cows, goats, and also a pig. Several students from another school were caring for rabbits on the farm when we visited. As part of the trip, students got to make apple cider using fresh apples.

My favorite part of the field trip was when our class went to a donkey pen with two donkeys, chewing on hay. We all gathered around to watch them. After some time, they came up to us because they wanted attention, so we stuck our hands in, and they let us pet them and scratch the top of their heads.

They clearly enjoyed themselves as they approached and more people crowded to pet them. One came right up to me and let me pet its head and back. They were well-groomed with smooth fur, but the softest part was their big ears. Their ears were very velvety as the fur was thick. Overall, the experience was fun for both of us, and it was very hard to say goodbye.

I would recommend this field trip to all ages of students in the school district because my classmates and I had a great time as we connected, finding something in common in the enjoyment of petting farm animals.

Illustration by Mia, 7th grade, MaST, 2025-2026.