During the growing season of 2020 we welcomed people to come for outdoor, socially distanced and/or masked visits/ nature walks/ volunteer projects. During the winter people are still welcome to come walk, ski, or snowshoe, but need to remain outside and keep distant from people who are not part of their COVID bubble. We hope to welcome people for outdoor projects again in growing season 2021. Will post updates as the weather and the COVID situation change. If you have any questions, please contact us at the email address or phone number given on our home page.
Visitors are welcome Monday through Saturday. Everyone from children to elders and those with special needs are welcome. Restrooms are on the first floor of the red barn and parking is between that barn and the house. Picnic tables are by the brook across the road from the parking area. There are woods trails and fields for walking and skiing. (See Nature page for trail map and birds list.) Call ahead if you want to schedule a group visit or to be sure someone is available to show you around or if you want to help with our work. Please leave your pets at home and take away your trash.
During Screen-Free Week in April, we offer sunset nature walks to listen for frogs and owls, to look for spring wildflowers and to watch for woodcocks. See the Home page, or our Facebook page, to find out about current and upcoming activities at the farm.
Things To Do:
Hike on several miles of woods and field trails
Watch birds
Look for frogs, dragonflies, wildflowers…
Build a birdhouse
Picnic by the pond
Visit goats, chickens, rabbits, pigs
Tour (or help out in) the gardens
Swing, or just sit
Make simple wooden toys
Opportunities to learn:
–organic gardening
–composting, indoors & out
–seed saving
–identifying trees, birds, flowers, beneficial insects, frogs, salamanders, snakes
–attracting butterflies
–woodworking
–bicycle repair
–cheesemaking
Why we offer alternatives:
The most radical thing we can do both for and with our kids is to simply stop and do nothing from time to time.
Advertising contributes to a consumer identity . . .People lose core values, family time, connection to community and nature, and creative down time.
–from What Kids Really Want that Money Can’t Buy by Betsy Taylor
Children need contact with the natural world. It’s an antidote to advertising and gives a different perspective on the universe.
In most of us there is a deep hunger for contact with the natural world. Everywhere people love to garden, to work with the soil, to touch plants and make things grow.
The natural world teaches many lessons but fewer children have access to them.
–from The Shelter of Each Other by Mary Pipher
The more real wealth we have–such as friends, skills, libraries, wilderness and afternoon naps–the less money we need in order to be happy.
I needed to learn how to fix things, and I became fascinated with living life directly and developing my skills and capacities and ingenuity rather than just earning more money.
— from Affluenza by de Graaf, Wann and Naylor
Books and other things visitors can use:
–Field guides for identifying birds, nests, mammals, insects, trees, wildflowers, dragonflies, butterflies
—One Small Square books for exploring with children: Pond, Woods, and Backyard
—Take a Walk with Butterflies & Dragonflies
—The Family Butterfly Book
—The Butterfly Book
—The Young Naturalist
–organic gardening books
–magnifiers of various types and strengths
–nets and containers
–DEC posters on turtles, frogs, salamanders, snakes etc.
–recordings of owl calls, frog calls
Stories from earlier day visitors:
Courtney and her family visited throughout the 2020 growing season, and she wrote a short article for our June newsletter.
Selena came to the farm for weekly visits during the 2020 growing season
Lonny helped us with a wide variety of projects on day visits during the summer and fall of 2020. We were especially grateful for his assistance with haying.
Julie came to help us in the garden weekly during the 2020 growing season.
Marge began visiting the farm in 2016, and wrote for our newsletter in 2016 and 2018.
Rita (on the right) came to the farm came to visit, worship, walk and work with us starting in 2016 and wrote for a 2017 newsletter.
Maria has come for day visits as a friend and helper for several years
Kelly visited and volunteered in 2016
Families came during the February vacation in 2016
Melissa‘s family visited in 2013, and she wrote for our December newsletter.
Ashley and her friend Marjorie visited in 2013, and Marjorie wrote for our September newsletter
Rosa (left) joined us for Spanish Apostolate retreats, family days and informal visits. She wrote for our December 2011 newsletter.
Rosa’s daughter Rosie visited with her mother and wrote for us too.
Patty and her daughter Chrissy also came to our Family Days, and Patty wrote for a 2011 newsletter
Barbara Steinkraus (right) visited on her own and with friends for many years, and wrote for a 2006 newsletter.