Youth Education Veterinary Field Trip

Fifteen students in the Youth Education program at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services were able to participate a field trip to Abel Pet Clinic in Elk Grove through a grant from the Sacramento River Cats. 

Transportation was provided for youth to take a tour of the entire clinic and the chance to meet an experienced veterinarian. Owner and veterinarian, Dr. Kelly Byam, gave youth an inside look at what a routine visit is like for her patients, as well as a typical day for the staff. 

Dr. Byam showed students how patients are checked in and explained common reasons pets are brought to her clinic. She showed students what an x-ray looks like and the purpose of one, as well as how to navigate through the x-ray system. She showed children what the surgery room looked like and explained the different surgical tools as well as their functions. 

While on the tour youth got the opportunity to see a dog get its teeth cleaned while under anesthesia. Dr. Byam did a great job explaining the procedure taking place as youth watched in amazement. 

After touring the entire facility and learning the steps you must take to get in the field of working with animals, youth got the chance to ask Dr. Byam anything they wanted to know about animals and what her job entails. 

Not only was this field trip fun and exciting it was very informational not to mention one of our students interested in becoming a veterinarian was given the opportunity to receive free mentorship from a veterinarian. 

Submitted by Krystal Oliver, Youth Education Program Assistant at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services

Kate's Korner: February 2015

I'm a plant nerd.  

If you had not realized this yet, it is probably your first time reading my blogs. That or you're also a plant nerd and you presumed we were normal human beings with an equal appreciation for all things with roots! It is one of my life goals to make everyone else plant nerds because being one is fantastic.

Plants provide food, shelter, medicine, fabric, beautiful vistas and oxygen! Maybe you do not like eating plants (like vegetables) but you like eating steak? Well, cows eat plants, so I think you really like plants. Love a terry cloth towel after a steamy shower? Well you must really like plants because plants give us cotton. Would you feel deprived without coffee or bedtime herbal tea? P-L-A-N-T-S, my friends!

Since my job is running the Demonstration Garden, I've become an offshoot of a plant nerd – I’m a garden nerd. As a garden nerd I have noticed some peculiar things. I find it interesting how many people dissociate produce from plants. To some folks, it's not food unless it is wrapped in a bundle and lounging in the aisle of your grocery store. I love teaching people what food looks like when it is still in the ground, plus it's true that produce does taste better if you grow it yourself! All that time and effort you put into watching your food grow makes the experience of eating it even more enjoyable. 

I encourage everyone to grow something, anything that they can eat.  If you are one of those people who feels like they don't have a green thumb, please come see me in the Demonstration Garden and I will give you something you cannot loose.

Happy growing!

P.S. You know you're a garden nerd if….

• Going through seed catalogs is more exciting than writing a Christmas list
• You walk into a plant nursery with a limited amount of money so you won’t regret anything later
• Your idea of a fun day trip is visiting a farm or garden
• You try to identify all the crops as you wiz by farm fields along the highway

Submitted by Kate Wilkins, Garden Coordinator at Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services