Rooted Together: A Fall Gathering for Farm-Based Educators
- vera159
- Aug 6
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 15
Details
When: September 19 - 21, 2025
Where: Massaro Community Farm, Woodbridge, CT
Cost: Free to attend, lodging not included
What to Expect
Gather with fellow farm-based educators at this unique professional learning event, designed and delivered by FBEN program alumni. Over two and a half days, you’ll experience a tour at Massaro Community Farm (with many school field trip elements!), inquire into the importance of rewilding with the EcoType project, visit Common Ground Urban Farm in New Haven, take part in favorite farm-based education activities with experienced educators, and enjoy an unforgettable tidal foraging expedition and meal of undervalued, “invasive” plants with Miya’s Sushi. Get ready to learn, reflect, and restore in a supportive peer learning environment.
Facilitating Team
Andrew Lombardi, Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and Environment
Jamilla Jones, early childhood educator
Joi Prud’homme, Massaro Community Farm
Farm Visits
The Massaro property is 57 acres, including ten acres in mixed vegetable and flower production, and five acres in pasture. Over 30 acres of the property are in woods, including some wetlands, in which there is a nature trail open to the public and used for our educational programs. MCF uses its buildings and land to offer on-farm educational programs and events for children and adults throughout the year.
Common Ground's work takes place on an urban farm in New Haven, located within a State Park with access to abundant opportunities for nature connection. The campus and farm are home to both an environmentally themed public high school and many kinds of farm and nature based programs for children and families. Our visit will include a campus tour to learn about the ways that Common Ground engages learners of all ages in farming, food and social justice, and nature connection. We will also work on a farm project together. Read more about Common Ground's farm HERE and the scope of programs for children HERE.
The Wild Life Cooking Collective of Miya's Sushi is dedicated to fostering personal well-being and environmental stewardship through a deep connection with nature. They focus on the mindful consumption of wild foods, particularly those that are abundant, destructive, and often undervalued, such as weeds and invasive species. Founder, Bun Lai is an educator who has been published in Scientific American and Harvard Design Magazine. He is currently working on educational experiences on his farm.
Program Outcomes
Rekindle hope for the work of farm-based education;
Support each other through listening and sharing;
Learn about each other’s farm-based education and farm to school models;
Experience practices of self care;
Share meals and conversation over meals;
Harvest food and work on the farm;
Gather inspiration from guest speakers and visits to farm-based education sites;
Collaborate with community-based initiatives for catering needs
Your Group
You can expect your group to be made up of 20-ish farm-based educators. We request that if you come as a group, you limit your group size to 3 people from a single organization or farm.
Accommodations
Camping at Massaro Community Farm (flat tent sites, portalets and heated bathroom available; no shower facilities)
AirBnB and Hotel rentals are recommended search what is local to “Woodbridge”
Commute from your homebase
More About The Facilitators
Jamilla Jones is a dedicated educator, urban agriculture advocate, and accomplished chef whose work blends her passions for teaching, sustainability, and culinary arts. She holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education and has spent her career inspiring young minds to reach their fullest potential.
With a strong belief in the transformative power of hands-on learning, Jamilla integrates her expertise in urban gardening into her educational practice. She is committed to sustainable living and leads by example, cultivating fresh, locally grown produce and sharing that knowledge with her students and community.
In addition to her educational accomplishments, Jamilla holds a degree in culinary and operational development. Her love for cooking—especially using fresh, seasonal ingredients—has led her to create a unique curriculum that weaves together gardening, agriculture, and culinary arts. These programs feature wholesome, flavorful recipes inspired by her cultural heritage and deep respect for food sovereignty.
Jamilla has completed farm internships with Soul Fire Farm, a BIPOC-led organization dedicated to regenerative agriculture, and Terra.do, a program focused on climate-smart farming. She also served as executive director of Eagle Eye, bringing nature and agriculture experiences to youth from diverse backgrounds, and co-founded Generational Seeds, a self-directed educational center, with her husband.
Today, Jamilla has returned to the Springfield community, teaching Pre-K students at the very school she once attended. Her journey reflects a lifelong dedication to empowering others through education, connecting them to the land, and cultivating skills that nourish both body and spirit.
Andrew Lombardi, Director of Visitor Education & Experience at Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment in Maine, has been working in education for over 20 years starting with summer camps and early childhood classrooms, to the outdoor farm and nature based education he gets to teach now. He loves being outdoors, and the dynamic teaching environment it provides. His passion is getting people outside and learning what the world has to teach us - especially if it involves eating something.
Joi Prud’homme, a resident of Woodbridge, CT and a long-time supporter of Massaro Community Farm as a volunteer and CSA Member, became a staff member in 2023 to help with youth programming. Originally from the coast of Maine, Joi has always been a nature lover. She is thrilled to share her passions and knowledge with people of all ages throughout the beautiful 57 acres of Massaro Community Farm. She is also an Advanced Master Gardener and Pollinator Steward who enjoys volunteering her time in New Haven County as a 4-H Leader, serving on the Woodbridge Conservation Commission and spending time with her husband, daughter, and their house full of animals!
Friday 9/19 | |
8:30 | Simple breakfast available at Massaro Community Farm |
9:00 | Welcome & Introductions |
10:00 | Map Making and Place-Based Education |
11:00 | Experience a Farm Field Trip at Massaro Community Farm |
12:30 - 1:30 | Lunch and Learn with City Seed’s Sanctuary Kitchen Sanctuary Kitchen is a culinary training program and social enterprise that provides professional development and employment for new residents of Greater New Haven. |
1:30 | Farm game |
2:00 - 4:00 | Rewilding and Native Pollinators with Dina Brewster, EcoType Project The Ecotype Project is a table at which farmers, restoration ecologists, educators, homeowners, landscapers, and scientists can work together towards a common mission: to increase the biodiversity and resilience of the northeastern landscape. |
4:30 | Wrap Up |
6:30 | Dinner at Massaro Community Farm |
Sat 9/20 | |
8:30 | Simple breakfast available at Massaro Community Farm |
9:00 | Learning Journey to Common Ground Urban Farm, New Haven, CT Common Ground is a center for learning and leadership, inviting people across ages and identities to connect to their urban environment, build community, grow into their full potential, and contribute to a just and sustainable world. They work toward this mission through active, authentic learning rooted in justice and our environment: a farm, in a forest, in a city. |
12 - 1:00 | Lunch at Massaro Community Farm |
1:00 | Farm-Based Education Activities: What activities are giving you hope? |
3:00 | Tidal Foraging at Long Island Sound with Bun Lai, Miya’s Sushi |
Evening | At Miya's, our mission is to cultivate a deep connection with nature through mindful cooking and sustainable living. We focus on the conscious consumption of wild foods, particularly those that are abundant, destructive, and often undervalued, such as weeds and invasive species. We strive to transform the way people view and interact with food by promoting the use of wild, abundant, environmentally destructive, and often overlooked ingredients. |
Sunday 9/21 | |
8:30 | Simple breakfast available at Massaro Community Farm |
9:00 | Welcome back |
9:15 | Receiving Support on a Dilemma You’re Facing |
10:30 | Closing Reflection and Integration |
11:30 | Goodbyes with land and each other |