The ABCs of Farm-Based Education Workshop
Designed for farmers, farm-based educators, and non-formal educators, the ABCs of Farm-Based Education Workshop is hosted by Shelburne Farms and FBEN and is for anyone who is building a farm-based education program or inspiring an existing program. At this 2 1/2 day workshop, you’ll fill your toolbox with activities from Shelburne Farms’ publications, Project Seasons and Cultivating Joy and Wonder. Each day will bring you to new places: the dairy, farmyard, garden, and forest classrooms at Shelburne Farms, or other farm-based learning environments when the workshop is hosted in partnership with other sites. Through hands-on learning, peer discussions, group meals, and shared craft time, participants will gather ideas for engaging school groups and visitors of all ages, tips for creating a safe learning environment, and support for facing challenges common in farm-based education.
The next ABCs of Farm-Based Education Workshop is planned for *in person* in the fall of 2022 at Shelburne Farms. Registration will open in August. Interested in hosting an ABCs or other farm-based education workshop? Contact us about collaborating!
Learning Journeys
FBEN Learning Journeys convene those working in food and farm education for a series of farm tours. Tour leaders go beyond “what” each site offers to focus on their strengths, struggles, and unique attributes. Participants may come to one or all parts of the journey, bringing their questions and ideas to each visit. Our next Learning Journey is scheduled *in person* for Western Massachusetts in September, 2022. Registration will open in August
Past Learning Journey Itineraries
Greater New York City
September 16 - 18, 2018
Pony Power Therapies | Mahwah, NJ
Queens County Farm Museum | Queens, NY
Myco-Rise: Mushroom Sculpture at Smiling Hogshead Ranch | Long Island City, NY
City Growers at Brooklyn Grange Farm | Brooklyn, NY
Preschool and Family Nutrition Class | Bronx, NY
Farm Tour: East New York Farms | East New York, NY
Southern Vermont
March 30 - 31, 2018
Billings Farm | Woodstock, VT
Retreat Farm | Brattleboro, VT
Smokey House Center | Danby, VT
Merck Forest and Farmland | Rupert - VT
Hildene | Manchester, VT
Western Massachusetts
September 21 - 22, 2017
Just Roots at Greenfield Community Farm | Greenfield, MA
Brookfield Farm | Amherst, MA
Nuestras Raices | Holyoke, MA
Holiday Brook Farm | Dalton, MA
Berkshire Botanical Gardens | Stockbridge, MA
Fairfield Farm at Hotchkiss School | Lakeville, CT
School Sprouts | Williamsburg, MA
New Jersey
September 13, 2016
Fernbrook Farms and Environmental Education Center | Bordentown, NJ
Snipes Farm and Education Center | Morrisville, PA
Duke Farms | Hillsborough Township, NJ
New York State
September 9 - 12, 2015
Something Good in the World at Glynwood | Cold Spring, NY
Stone Barns Center for Agriculture | Pocantico Hills, NY
Muscoot Farm | Katonah, NY
Hilltop Hanover Farm | Yorktown Heights, NY
Green Chimneys Farm and Wildlife Center | Brewster, NY
Common Ground Farm | Beacon, NY
Manhattan Country School | Roxbury, NY
Hawthorne Valley Farm | Ghent, NY
Leadership Retreats
Leadership Retreats can take many shapes. Recently they have been 2-day facilitated workshops that rely on peer expertise and some guest presenters to support our learning together. Program goals include, but aren't limited to: building leadership capacity for managers, directors, owners, board members; sharing strategies for successful operation of farm-based ed programming; fostering relationships among peer leaders; providing a restorative experience that nourishes the mind, body, and spirit.
Past Retreats took place in January, 2018 at Shelburne Farms and in July, 2019 at the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming. There are currently no Leadership Retreats scheduled, but please reach out if you're interested in setting one up!
Other Workshops
FBEN frequently collaborates with members and other groups to host virtual workshops that are responsive to your interests and needs. These range from 12-hour anti-racism trainings with Service to Justice, to 60 minute Community Check-Ins to a summer camp learning community that runs February - May each spring. To see a full listing of past programs we've hosted, view our Calendar. To suggest a workshop for the future, contact us!
