Field Trips

PROGRAM MENU

*High School Group chaperone to student ratio: 1 per 10 students. 5th Grade and below: 1 per 7 students. Fees for teacher and chaperone are waived based on recommended ratio, additional chaperones will be charged at cost per student.

OPTION #1

INTRODUCTION TO A WORKING FARM

Groups of 15 to 30, 90 minutes

10am–12:30pm

All Ages

Enjoy a two-hour walking tour of our farm with one of our staff. Tour includes a milling demonstration in our historic Roadside Barn and discussion of our small-farm operation. Guests are invited to bring their own lunch to picnic in our meadow following their tour. *Tour can be truncated to 1.5 hours (without milling demo).

10:00am:  Arrival and Welcome

10:00am–10:30am:  Overview of Pie Ranch, ice breaker, safety review

10:30am–12:30pm:  Milling Demo followed by walking tour of farm

12:30pm:  Enjoy our meadow for your own picnic lunch (optional)

OPTION #2

CONNECTING WITH THE SOIL

Groups of 15 to 30, 3.5 hours

9:30am–1:00pm

School Groups 5th Grade and above

Enjoy a facilitated tour of the farm, engage in a farm activity that relates to the current season and crops that we are growing on the farm. Tour includes a milling demonstration in our historic Roadside Barn and discussion of our small-farm operation. Guests are invited to bring their own lunch to picnic in our meadow at the end of the experience.

9:30am: Arrival and Welcome

9:30am–10:00am: Overview of Pie Ranch, ice breaker, safety review

10:00am–11:30am: Walking Tour of Farm & milling demo

11:30am–1:00pm: Farm project with farm team (see seasonal farm activities below)

1:00pm: Enjoy our meadow for your own picnic lunch (optional)

OPTION #3

 MAIZE TO MILL TO MUFFINS

Groups up to 30

3.5 hours: 9:30am–1:30pm

1st Grade and above 

Start the day at our village-sized grain mill and grind corn or wheat that was grown here in the fields at Pie Ranch. Carry the fresh-milled flour to the outdoor kitchen, stopping along the way to visit the Native Garden and goat pasture. In the kitchen, we’ll do a simple baking activity with the corn or wheat flour and serve our yummy confection as a supplement to your picnic lunches from home.

9:30am: Arrival and Welcome

9:30am–10:00am: Overview of Pie Ranch, introductions, bathrooms

10:00am–10:30am: Visit the mill at the farmstand and mill farm-grown grain

10:30-11:15am: Abbreviated farm tour through the Native Garden and lower goat pasture

11:15-12:15 Bake with the fresh-milled flour in the outdoor kitchen

12:15pm: Picnic lunch in the meadow

12:30pm Baked goods are served as an after-lunch treat

OPTION #4

FOOD JUSTICE FROM FIELD TO TABLE

Groups up to 20 or less,3.5 hours (can accommodate larger groups with an extra rotation)

9:30am–1:30pm

School groups 5th Grade and above

Food justice seeks to ensure that the benefits and risks of where, what, and how food is grown, produced, transported, distributed, processed and eaten are shared fairly and equitably. Participants will enjoy a day of farming, cooking and conversations around how justice manifests in our food systems. Participants will break into 2 groups. One group will join our farm educator for a tour or farm activity around Pie Ranch while the other group prepares lunch in the outdoor kitchen with the chef educator, then the two groups switch.

9:30am: Arrival and Welcome

9:30am–10:00am: Overview of Pie Ranch, ice breaker, safety review, Group splits into 2 groups

10:00am–11:15am: Group 1: farm tour or activity, Group 2: culinary lesson with chef educator

11:15am - 12:30pm: Group 2: farm tour or activity, Group 1: culinary lesson with chef educator

12:30pm: Enjoy a lunch buffet prepared by and for your group!

1:30pm: Survey & departure

OPTION #5

THE WHOLE PIE

Groups up to 30, 3.5 hours

9:30–1:30pm

School Groups 5th Grade and above

Upon arrival, the group will be divided into three teams: farm, culinary, and pie baking. The farm team will work alongside our farmers and educators on a seasonal farm project, the culinary team will work with our chef educator to prepare lunch for the visiting class, the pie team will create and bake pies from scratch. The groups will reunite to enjoy the lunch buffet and pies made fresh that day to conclude the visit.

9:30am: Arrival and Welcome

9:30am–10:00am: Overview of Pie Ranch, ice breaker, safety review

10:00am–12:30pm: Farm, Culinary, Pie teams break out

12:30pm–1:15pm: Lunch

1:15-1:30pm: Enjoy pie together

OPTION #6

LIFE ON A FARM: OVERNIGHT EXPERIENCE

Groups up to 30 ::: 1.5 days
*Available to School Groups ONLY

Please inquire with us about bringing students to the farm for an overnight trip.

Field Trip Inquiry Form

Interested in what kinds of activities you might find on the farm during the different seasons? Read below to get an idea of the work we do in the fields throughout the year.

WINTER

Farm: Soil tests; sowing wheat; pruning cane berries and apple trees; greenhouse work; paint signs for farm stand & tours/workdays; pest control; goat care; weeding; orchard care; citrus harvesting; corn & bean processing; grain milling; herb harvesting; salve making

Kitchen: Culinary experiences with winter squash, bread baking, heirloom beans, hearty stews, lemons & limes, pea & bean greens, wild greens, polenta, fresh tortillas

Pies: Lemon Buttermilk, Persian lime, Walnut, Blackberry, Pumpkin, Apple, Pear, Savory pies

SPRING

Farm: Prep ground for planting; set-up irrigation; sowing in greenhouse; direct sowing & transplanting; harvest & post-harvest handling; weed cultivation; goat care; pest control; soil amending; trellising; aged manure turning

Kitchen: Spring salads, citrus desserts, frittata, heirloom beans, baking with Pie Ranch wheat, fresh milled grains; polenta, pea & bean greens; strawberry desserts

Pies: Lemon Buttermilk, Strawberry Rhubarb, Persian Lime, Quiche, Savory pies

SUMMER

Farm: Weeding; summer tree pruning; crop harvest; goat milking; berry harvest; pest control; flower harvest; post-harvest handling, goat milking, everything!

Kitchen: Corn tortillas, bruschetta, strawberry crepes, pesto, goat cheese, salads, veggie pizza, vegetable abundance.

Pies: Strawberry Rhubarb, Peach, Lemon buttermilk, Pear, Savory pies

FALL

Farm: Corn, bean & squash harvest, tomato harvest, plant strawberries & garlic, pest control, preparing ground for winter cover crops, weeding, mulching fruit trees, pulling out summer crops, winnowing beans and processing them for drying, goat milking.

Kitchen: Mashed & roasted potatoes, roasted butternut squash soup, fresh baked bread, tomato sauce, corn on the cob, polenta, fall fruit & veggie abundance.

Pies: Apple, Pumpkin, Pear, Strawberries, Blackberries. 

Pricing and Costs

A 25% deposit is required for booking purposes and is due 7 business days after an e-mail confirmation. Full payment for visits is due 30 days after the issue of an invoice. In the case of unfavorable weather, we will provide you with an option to reschedule.

Cancellations must be made 7 days in advance for all programs that include a culinary lesson or catered meal. All other programs require 48 hour notice for cancellation.

All income received from farm visits supports our operational costs that allows us to continue offering learning opportunities on our farm and also provides coverage for schools that express need of financial assistance. Thank you for your support!