Programs for Visiting Schools
Overview
Programs for visiting schools are the centerpiece of The Farm School. Each school year, 1,500 children join farmers and naturalists on our farm for 3-day programs. The students come with their class, in groups of up to 40 at one time, many times splitting a week between two groups from the same school. Many schools bring students for multiple visits spread out over several years. While here the students find value in real work, create community that persists when they return to their classrooms, and experience first hand what it means to be a steward of the earth. It's simple but it's magical.
Every school that has come has returned. As a result, our calendar is usually quite full. However, we welcome inquires about possible visits and are always looking for ways to stretch to fit in more programs! If you are interested, please do contact Program Director Reid Bryant to begin a conversation about your school coming to The Farm School.
Regular Session
The work and care of the farm is the mainstay of the program. The farm itself is 130 acres, with about 40 acres of open land and 90 acres of woods. It is an incredibly productive place, with large vegetable gardens designed to help feed all that come, young orchards, a maple sugaring operation, a dairy with up to 6 cows milking, pigs being produced for Cambridge restaurants, goats, chickens, oxen and a lovely team of work horses named Prince and King. Students are fully integrated into the farm operations, rising early for milking, tending to the garden, fields and forests, and helping to cook meals with the food they have harvested. By the time they leave, the farm is theirs.
Sample Schedule
| Day 1: Getting to Know the Farm | |
| 10:30 | Welcome, settle into the bunk rooms, get cups and nametags |
| 10:45 | Opening Meeting |
| 11:15 | Farm Explore Tour & Visitng Staff Meeting |
| 12:00 | Lunch (students bring from home) |
| 12:30 | Games |
| 1:00 | Farm Work: Barn, Garden, Forest |
| 3:30 | Snack / Free Time |
| 4:30 | Farm Find |
| 5:15 | Chores |
| 6:15 | Dinner and clean-up |
| 7:15 | Evening Activity |
| 8:15 | Quiet Evening Routine |
Day 2: Working the Land |
|
| 6:15 | Wake-up |
| 6:30 | Chores |
| 7:30 | Breakfast/Clean-up |
| 8:15 | Stretch |
| 9:00 | Community Meeting |
| 9:15 | Farm Work groups rotate |
| 10:15 | Snack |
| 10:30 | Back to same Farm Work |
| 11:30 | Free Time |
| 12:00 | Lunch and clean up |
| 1:00 | Options Intro |
| 1:15 | Reflections |
| 2:15 | Options |
| 3:45 | Snack/Free Time |
| 5:00 | Chores |
| 6:00 | Dinner and clean-up |
| 7:00 | Evening Activity |
| 8:00 | Quiet Evening Routine |
Day 3: Farmers Now! |
|
| 6:15 | Wake-up |
| 6:30 | Chores |
| 7:30 | Breakfast and clean-up |
| 8:00 | Pack - bags out front |
| 8:45 | Farm Work Rotate |
| 10:00 | Final Circle |
| 10:30 | Clamber on Bus – Goodbye! |
Serving as a National Model
The success of our educational programs for children and their teachers has attracted national media attention, and placed The Farm School in the privileged position of being able to serve as a model for other programs. If you think our model could offer you some ideas, please check out a very thorough evaluation of the Program For Visiting Schools, The Lay Of The Land and please don't hesitate getting in touch with Founder Ben Holmes , who would be happy to offer any help he can in the development of your idea or existing program.