Field Crops |
Farm Animals |
Forestry |
Practical Skills |
Staff |
Homesteading |
Marketing |
Evaluation |
Beyond The Farm |
Adult students come to The Farm School for a year - from October through the following September - to learn to farm. Throughout the year, every day and every way, students farm. Growing food for a 175 member CSA, a vibrant Farmers' Market and a 50 member meat CSA and managing 150 acres of productive forest land is the core of life and learning on the farm. Here students learn to farm by farming.
Various fields of study - or courses - are woven together in the pattern of the ongoing farm work to offer the most complete and practical farm training imaginable. With the exception of the optional Winter Farm Trip to Tuscany, all student farmers participate in every course listed, with each student farmer's ongoing skill acquisition monitored and discussed with staff in seasonal evaluations. The courses take place during the season(s) indicated, and some courses may be replaced or removed year-to-year. In all the courses offered, students can expect introductory class work and/or discussions leading to extensive on-farm learning opportunities working the land.
Costs and Financial Aid
In contrast to informal apprenticeships on individual farms, The Farm School offers a curriculum-based agricultural educational program that has been established for the specific benefit of the participants. Funding for the program is provided by tuition, which is kept relatively low with the addition of equal parts from fund raising and the sale of farm products grown by the students and staff. We are all investing in your future as a farmer!
Student Farmer Tuition
Full Program, October 4, 2010 - September 16, 2011: $12,000, includes full instructional program, off-farm workshops and seminars and some conference fees as well as full room and board.
Optional Three-Week Tuscan Farm Immersion, February 2011: $1,500, includes all transportation, room, board and educational expenses.
College Credit is possible with partnering institutions; please inquire if interested. Limited financial aid is available. If this is a necessity for you, please be sure to specify your specific interest on your application.
Participants are responsible for their own personal health insurance.
Application and Selection Process
- Applicants must be college age or older.
- In building our community each year we will be looking for a diverse group of people who are eager to live and work with others in order to learn how to farm. Maturity, an ability to encompass other points of view, and a sense of humor are critical.
- It is important that applicants understand the structure and aims of the program before they apply. We welcome the opportunity to answer questions and/or schedule a visit via email or phone.
- Once you've determined that you think The Farm School is for you, please complete the application below and return it to us via email or regular post as soon as possible. Once you've applied, we will encourage you to arrange a farm visit if you haven't done so already.
Apply Now!
Download the application form in pdf format.
Contact Us
Questions? Like to visit? We'd love to hear from you: please get in touch!
School Director Patrick Connors patrick@farmschool.org 978.249.9944
Program Director Jennifer Core jennifer@farmschool.org 978.248.9427