Helping grow more than just healthy plants.

Time to let your kids unplug and reconnect to the natural world. We help grow sustainable and resilient kids who understand the connection between healthy soil and delicious, life-giving food, while deepening their awareness of the natural world. Our teaching style and curriculum is influenced by Wilderness Awareness Schools, Waldorf & Montessori Education, and the Garden-Based Learning Movement.

For ages 3-15

Friday - Semester Farm School

10 week Semesters - Every Friday
Spring (March 29 - May 31, 2024)
Fall (Sept - Nov, 2024)
Winter Seasons (Jan - March, 2025)

$375 / semester

Farm School is available year-round, broken down into 10-week semesters that coincide with the seasons - Fall, Winter and Spring semester.  Sibling discounts available.  We also have a farm-to-table snack/lunch program available – catered healthy organic food prepared by our chef.

Parents are welcome to stay on-site at our Vineyard tasting room during class time to work, read, or relax. We have excellent wi-fi, coffee & tea bar, and food available.  Both indoor and outdoor space

Typical Daily Rhythm

9:00 - 9:15 am  Check-in | Group Games
9:15 - 9:30 am  Greetings | Set Intentions for Day | Sit Spot
9:30 - 10:30 am  Garden/Nature activity| Farm Chores 
10:30 - 10:45 am  Snack 
10:45 - 12:00 pm  Main Lesson & Seasonal Activity 
12:00 - 12:30 pm  Lunch & stories/riddles
12:45 - 1:45 pm  Games | Nature connection & Garden work
1:45 - 2:00 pm  Clean up | Dismissal

CURRENT SEMESTER CLASS LOCATIONS

Spring Break, Summer & Winter Break Camps

CAMPS
Spring Break (March 11-15, 2024)
Summer (Weekly June - August, 2024)
Thanksgiving & Winter Break (Nov - Dec, 2024)

$225 - $375/week

Time to get outside and play! Offered during Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter breaks, Farm Camps at Hamilton Pool Farms provides endless opportunities for kids to connect with the natural world while experiencing the rhythms of a working farm. Each camp day is designed to inspire a connection with and love of nature and the outdoors.

Activities include working with chickens (feeding, giving water, collecting eggs, learning all about them), planting in the green house & garden, harvesting vegetables, cooking delicious organic snacks, crafts, group games, songs, stories, and so much more. In the Summer, we cool off at the end of each day with water play and games under our shady oaks. In the Winter, we stay warm around the fire, teaching fire building, safety and cooking over the fire!

Daily Camp Rhythm

9:00 - 9:30 am Gathering / Warm Up Games
9:30 - 10:30 am Farm Chores
10:30 - 10:45 am Snack
10:45 - 12:00 pm Theme Activity
12:00 - 12:30 pm Lunch
12:30 - 1:15 pm Theme Activity
1:15 - 2:00 pm Seasonal Activities / Clean Up
2:00 pm Dismissal

CURRENT CAMP LOCATIONS

Nature Farm School Programs by Age

Farm Explorers (ages 3-6)

The focus for the Farm Explorers is learning to be comfortable with the natural world, while also practicing respect and compassion for all living creatures - including each other!

The children are introduced to the cycles of seasons and nature through seasonal garden activities, games, crafts, stories, and songs. They practice appropriate “farm etiquette” and the proper use and function of hand tools. Weekly farm chores may include watering plants; starting seeds in pots; harvesting vegetables, flowers or medicinal herbs; or feeding the chickens and collecting eggs.

Activities are nature-based and seasonal such as making flower presses, weaving nature looms, brewing and tasting herbal teas, making salads, observing insects with magnifiers, and sifting compost to find out who lives and works in our soil. The Farm Explorers also take discovery walks during the day to explore our farm space and the surrounding natural preserve.

The Farm Explorers are divided into two age grouped classes:  Ages 3/4 are together and 5/6 are together in another class.  We keep the class sizes small.  10 students per teacher.  The 3/4 year old class will also have an assistant teacher

Farm Builders (ages 7-10)

In Farm Builders we meet this inquisitive age head-on with plenty of farming, building, creating, and exploring.

Farm activities including building their own raised garden beds; then planting, tending, harvesting, and (finally!) cooking. They also learn the function of the plants in our dye and medicinal plant gardens, as well as native and traditional food and medicine sources, and our local wildlife, including insects and birds. The children are exposed to the concept of beneficial insects and their role in maintaining a healthy farm/garden ecosystem.

Examples of seasonal activities include saving seeds in handmade origami packets, building bird houses, creating native bee habitats, making and tossing native seed balls, and making flower presses.

Practical outdoor skill activities include animal tracking, natural navigation, fire building & fire safety, shelter building, wood carving & knife safety, and making cordage and basketry from natural fibers.

The Farm Builders are divided into two age grouped classes:  Ages 7/8 are together and 9/10 are together in another class.  We keep the class sizes small.  10-12 students per teacher.

Farm & Forage (ages 11-15)

Farm & Forage gives tweens and teens the opportunity to learn about holistic farming practices literally from the ground up. Topics include regenerative agriculture, permaculture, biodynamics, compost making, chicken care, greenhouse management, seed saving, botany, local ecology & climatology, sustainable beekeeping, food preservation, and fermentation. We also study our nature preserve and learn ethical wildcrafting and native plant identification, then make useful products by hand such as herbal medicines, cordage and natural fiber baskets.

The rhythm of the day will feature warm-up games, observation exercises, and current topic presentation, followed by experiential farm activities such as bed preparation, planting, mulching, composting and harvesting. After lunch, we’ll have the opportunity to enjoy the harvest by cooking, preserving, or making herbal medicines in our farm kitchen. We wrap up with journaling and reflection on the day.

 FAQs

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

  • It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.