Summer 2026

Our summer abbreviated program teaches students how to grow food- from seed to harvest- providing an overview on topics like seedling care, in-ground gardens, raised garden beds, composting, managing manure, continuous harvesting, and storing seeds.  Students will learn natural farming techniques, permaculture, organic farming, soil cultivation and many sustainable farming concepts that will ignite their curiosity and empower them to pursue additional agricultural and food cultivation opportunities in the future.

Some students will already know how to cook simple meals, while others may be picking up a chef's knife for the first time; no matter their experience, this course will boost everyone's confidence in any kitchen. We always start with food safety basics,  how to safely handle foods harvested and processed on our campus, then we'll cover basic culinary techniques, celebrating all of the great summer crops by making pickles, dehydrate foods for long life, and canning seasonal preserves. Students will prepare full meals from vegetables and animals raised on campus.  We will learn to BBQ and cook on an open fire. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a butchery day, seeing the humane process we employ to dispatch and harvest our meat.   

This course covers basic safety and operation of household construction tools. Each student has their own tool kit, and with safety glasses on, they'll learn how to use a drill to install a shelf, cut a piece of metal with a grinder, hammer a few nails to secure a step and many basic tool tasks. Students will use their tool kits to support the on-going construction projects on-campus.

Our summer program focuses on farm animal care, our spring chickens will be ready to upgrade their coops and move in to the "Layers Lounge' which means learning about poultry nutritional needs, responsible flock management, animal health and safety, and biosecurity measures to mitigate animal agriculture related risks. Students will also care for turkeys and ducks. Plus lots of rabbit care as we move out of spring breeding season and into long-term colony management.  

NOTE: Students will have the opportunity to learn the humane process we employ to dispatch our meat animals, process the meat and cook it. Students who do not wish to participate in this portion of the program can opt out at anytime. On the day of processing, students who do not with to participate will have an off-campus activity scheduled. 

Our summer program is short and sweet, which means students won't be starting a construction project from the ground up, but rather building on what the previous program has already done.  Raising walls, sealing structures, insulating, installing roofing, gutters, electrical wiring, and solar panels may all be part of the curriculum. This course gives students a taste of 'self-build' structures while focusing on growing their confidence with the materials, tools, and construction lingo.