From Sheep Week to Cow Week, Joppa Hill has all the farm fun
By Zachary Lewis
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On a 35-acre parcel of land, The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill provides a path to learning about life on a farm for the whole family with their friendly menagerie of livestock and volunteers to guide you along the way. The farm is open and free to the public from sun-up to sundown every day of the year. Visitors can feed the animals, explore extensive trails, or take part in one of the many events, like fairs, concerts and even a Christmas tree bonfire after the holiday season.
The Farm and barnyard family will be growing this year.
“We are excited to announce that we are acquiring new animals,” Kim Wall, a member of their board of directors, said, and they will be “rebuilding our bunny enclosure, just to give you a hint of some of the animals that might be coming, and … we are redoing all the fencing around the farm and around the animal enclosures.” These additions and renovations will enhance an already pleasant environment.
Because it is an educational farm, Joppa Hill has a bountiful harvest of programs to educate the public throughout the year. One particular program that gets a lot of attention is the summer camp.
“There are kids who will sign up for multiple weeks,” of camp, Wall said. She pointed out a perk to visiting the Farm or attending summer camp: “You can play with these animals and not have them at home.”
Katie Schelzel, Farm Manager and Camp Director, gets a lot of joy from running the summer camp.
“It is so fun to watch [campers] gain ownership in the success of the farm and caring for the animals and taking care of the property and going inside of the barn,” Schelzel said. “My favorite part of camp is when parents come and pick the kids up … and they pull their exhausted parents around the entire farm and show them every animal in detail and stories of all the things they learned throughout the day, and I am an exhausted parent so I know what that’s like, but it’s a real treat to watch them feel so proud of what they do.”
Each camp is centered on activities tailored to a specific barnyard animal.
“For cow week we make butter. For horse week, we’re grooming the horses and bathing the horses. Chicken week we do a lot of experimentation with eggs.’ she said. “There’ll be farm- and animal-themed books. Daily lessons and activities about the animals are what really change.”
Some things are the same every week.
“We have eight weeks, we’re considering adding a ninth, and each week has a different animal theme but every day of every week has the same general routing.” Schelzel said. “Every day kids will do barn chores such as collecting eggs, measuring feed for the animals, or mucking the horse stalls. They’ll go on daily nature hikes.”
Sixty spots per week are available for kids ages 5 to 12 with two cohorts, the first for ages 5 to 8 and the other for 9 to 12, so that the experience is tailored to their age range. The day on the farm goes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and registration starts in late March. Farm members get priority registration.
“It’s really structured so that kids could come for every week and still have something new every week,” Schelzel said. “Even if a week fills up, there’s a waitlist, which isn’t ust like the pie-in-the-sky waitlist …. As parents, you know, you sign your kids up in the spring and then you get an opportunity for summer plans and you have to change your week — so I would definitely encourage parents to use the waitlist … it’s rolling, so there isn’t a deadline.”
The first week of camp starts June 17, and it’s Sheep Week.
Schelzel signed her own daughter up a few years ago and she’s never looked back.
“My daughter actually went five, six years ago to camp, which is how I originally was introduced to the farm,” she said. “And then I started volunteering … working for the farm, and now I’m the Farm Manager and Camp Director and have an amazing team that helps keep it updated … and having an exciting curriculum to learn and be really hands-on with the animals.”
Fresh air with blue skies or rain clouds can’t be beat.
“There’s something naturally therapeutic about being out in nature and with animals all day. One of the most special things about the farm is that everybody leaves happy. Parents can feel good when they pick their kids up at the end of the day that they’re learning about nature and about animals,” Schelzel said. “They’re learning about teamwork and organization and responsibility and they’re having fun while doing it.”
Summer camp with farm animals
The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill
174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford
theeducationalfarm.org, 472-4724
Camp is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., $350 per week.
Ages 5 – 8, limited to 30 campers per week.
Ages 9 – 12, limited to 30 campers per week.
Extended day option (limited to 15 campers) offers early drop-off (8 a.m.) and late pick-up (by 5 p.m.) for $75 per week.
Snack boost: $20 per week.
Sheep Week | Week 1: June 17 – June 21
Alpaca Week | Week 2: June 24 – June 28
Duck Week | Week 3: July 8 – July 12
Goat Week | Week 4: July 15 – July 19
Bunny Week | Week 5: July 22 – July 26
Horse Week | Week 6: July 29 – Aug. 2
Chicken Week | Week 7: Aug. 5 – Aug. 9
Cow Week | Week 8: Aug. 12 – Aug. 16
Featured Photo: Courtesy photo.
