Farm Educator's Roadmap®

Bloomsbury Farm School didn’t start as a grand plan — it started as one farmer, one child, one teacher, and a whole lot of listening to what the land and community were asking for. In this episode, I’m joined by founder and farm owner Lauren Palmer and Director Shannon Wilhelm for an honest conversation about how Bloomsbury grew from a small outdoor experiment into a full farm-based homeschool pro...

Project Grows sits on just five acres in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, but the impact reaches far beyond the fence line. What started as nine human service agencies responding to childhood obesity and food insecurity has become a full ecosystem of farm education, youth jobs, cooking classes, and a mobile market that brings fresh food directly into neighborhoods. In this episode, I talk with Educat...

Anne Kuehne started out teaching kindergarten and first grade—then saw, up close, how access to fresh food was out of reach for many kids. What began with collecting extra produce from neighbors and showing up (even once with only 15 snap peas and a tub of hummus!) grew into Sproutin’ Up : a youth-powered, community-rooted nonprofit in Fort Collins, CO. Today, Sproutin’ Up farms a little over an a...

Fernbrook Farms is a living mosaic: education center, CSA, wholesale nursery, and a historic inn—braided together by one family’s multi-generation love of land and learning. In this conversation, Brian Kuser shares how Fernbrook’s “one farm, many doors” model works day-to-day—and why diversity (in programs and people) is their superpower. From Saplings preschool naps outside to market-style C...

Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley Farm to School is proof that you don’t need your own farm to make a huge impact on kids, cafeterias, and local growers. Instead, they weave together partnerships with schools, teaching farms, and food service staff to bring real food and hands-on learning right where kids already are. In this episode, I’m joined by Education Program Manager Ellie Thompson and Lead Sc...

Fiddlehead Care Farm is a therapeutic farm in Ontario where counseling meets animals, gardens, and woodland trails. Founder and director Stephanie Deaken shares how growing up with a sister with Down syndrome, a “dream job” in a children’s hospital, and a move to a dairy farm all converged into a place where kids and families can breathe easier. In this conversation, we explore why Stephanie is a...

Sunflower Farm in Longmont, Colorado blends licensed early childhood education with real farm life—over 100 animals, gardens, and wide-open play—plus beloved community events like Farm Fests and music evenings. Executive Director Liz Napp shares how a parent’s love for the place turned into leadership, how they navigated licensing (hello, field-trip waivers!), and why “stillness” is central to the...

Gibbs Farm is an eight-acre oasis just outside St. Paul where farm education meets living history. Director Sammy Nelson and Youth Programs Manager Janie Bender share how they turn heirloom gardens, farm animals, and Dakota interpretation into meaningful, hands-on learning for kids. From garden “skits” that teach the Three Sisters to camps where chores are the favorite activity, we explore practic...

Montclair Community Farms ’ Executive Director Lana Mustafa shares how a backyard beekeeper and homesteader became the leader of a thriving urban farm in Montclair, NJ. From a 10,000-square-foot site with raised beds, chickens, and a pollinator meadow, her team grows food, runs multi-age programs, and brings a mobile farm stand directly to seniors and neighborhoods without nearby grocery stores. W...

Hart to Hart Farm is a family-owned organic dairy in Albion, Maine where the barns double as classrooms and kids become caretakers. Director Linda Hartkopf didn’t grow up on a farm—she chose this life—and built a thriving education center from a tiny camp of six boys into full seasonal programs that fill fast. In this episode, Linda shares how campers adopt animals, learn real farm skills, and eve...

Wright-Locke Farm is a historic, certified-organic community farm just outside Boston.  Education Director Sarah Doyle  shares how her team of former classroom teachers aren't just producing food, they're taking care of historic buildings, hosting concerts, running events, sharing youth programs, and operating a fully-outdoors preschool. We explore how the farm became a co...

Bowers School Farm has been connecting students to land, animals, and food systems since 1967—right inside the Bloomfield Hills Schools. In this episode, Learning Expedition Leader Megan Isabelle walks us through how a district-owned, 93-acre working farm becomes a living classroom from preschool to high school. You’ll hear how Bowers integrates farm experiences directly with curriculum across all...

Treworgy Family Orchards in Maine could have ended before it began. When the family planted their very first 15 acres of apple trees, every single one was destroyed by pests. Instead of giving up, they started over — row by row — and grew into a thriving 400-acre farm and community hub. In this episode, Education Director Ginny Nute shares how she went from leading field trips to building farm cam...

🎙️ Episode 12 — Two Dachshund Farm (Franklinton, NC) Anne Akers has woven together a life of fiber, education, and agritourism at Two Dachshund Farm , the 17-acre haven she and her husband Rodney have been building as they celebrate 50 years together. From alpacas and angora goats to llamas and sheep, every animal has a role in their farm-to-yarn story. In this conversation, Anne shares how a form...

What happens when you start farming at 65 for the first time? For Sandy Pond , it became a journey of healing, creativity, and connection. At Sacred Connections at Back Roads Farm in Vermont, Sandy blends organic farming, wellness practices, and art into a one-of-a-kind experience. From CSA shares and herbal remedies to yoga, massage, pottery, and camping under the stars, Sandy shows us what it lo...

This week I’m joined by Leslie Forsythe of Forsythe Family Farms in Ontario, Canada. For more than 30 years, Leslie has been blending agritourism, direct marketing, and hands-on programs that help thousands of kids (and their parents!) connect to the land. From pumpkin tours and toddler programs to CSA and even digital lessons, her farm has become a true destination for learning. 👉 In this episod...

Not every farmer runs a formal education program—but every farmer has the power to educate. In this episode, I talk with Melisa Oliva , co-founder of Ananda Gardens in Montpelier, Vermont. Alongside her husband, she started the farm in 2015 with a vision to go beyond organic produce—building a farm that cultivates wellness, education, and connection . 🌿 What we cover in this episode: Melisa’s ins...

Imagine waking up in a historic Vermont farmhouse, the smell of fresh pancakes in the air, and the sound of cows being milked just steps away. For over 40 years, Beth Kennett and her family have welcomed guests from around the world to Liberty Hill Farm — a working dairy and Vermont’s first certified Green Agritourism Enterprise. Beth isn’t just a gracious host. She’s a Governor-appointed member o...

🌻 Episode: Coverdale Farm – Where Conservation Meets Hands-On Education In this episode of the Farm Educator’s Roadmap , I’m chatting with Mindy Brown, Program Manager at Coverdale Farm Preserve in Greenville, Delaware — a stunning 377-acre property where a working farm, thriving education programs, and dedicated conservation work all come together. 🌾💚 Mindy shares her journey from preschool te...

In this episode of the Farm Educator’s Roadmap , Christa Hein sits down with Andrea Parent-Tibbetts of Clover Brooke Farm in New York’s Hudson Valley—a one-woman powerhouse running a regenerative fiber farm, an agritourism hub, and a growing online brand. Andrea shares her inspiring journey from school administrator to full-time farm entrepreneur, walking us through her farm’s transformation from...

Lauren Cain of Find Hope Farm in Pataskala, Ohio, didn’t set out to run a 100-goat operation—but her love of animals (and a couple empty barns) led her there. In this episode, Lauren shares how her background in animal welfare science and veterinary medicine informs every aspect of her farm business—from soap-making and herd shares to targeted grazing and goat yoga. We talk about the Five Freedoms...

In this episode of the Farm Educator’s Roadmap , host Christa Hein takes us to Ferguson, Missouri, home of EarthDance Organic Farm School —the oldest organic farm west of the Mississippi. Hear from Jena Hood and Tiffany Brewer , the passionate interim co-executive directors, as they share how EarthDance is growing more than food. From mentoring youth and training aspiring farmers, to launching pay...

In this episode of The Farm Educator’s Roadmap, we meet Sean McKay, an urban farming visionary whose path into agriculture was anything but conventional. Sean grew up on a sheep farm in rural Ohio but didn’t feel a connection to farm life—until a college plant biology class changed everything. Since then, he’s turned a third of his backyard into a thriving urban farm, launched the G...

Episode Title: Cultivating Connections: Vera Simon-Nobes and the Farm-Based Education Network Guest: Vera Simon-Nobes , Coordinator of the Farm-Based Education Network In this rich and inspiring conversation, host Christa Hein sits down with  Vera Simon-Nobes , a lifelong educator and community connector, to explore the many branches of farm-based education. Vera shares her incredible journey...

Host: Christa Hein | The Farm Educator’s Roadmap Podcast In this very first episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my 30-year journey in farm education—from an unexpected start as a summer camp Nature Director (who didn’t even know how to identify poison ivy!) to founding Bring the Farm to You, a mobile farm education business that now serves over 70,000 people a year. This isn’t an int...