TOURS

VISITS

WCFP Guided Farm Tours
High School, College & Adult Learners
*Scheduling Farm Tours Starting in Late June 2020.
The Guided Farm Tour is more than just a tour… it’s an experience! We offer a unique opportunity to dive a little deeper into a topic of your choosing as you get a “behind the scenes” tour from experienced farmers and educators. After this enriching experience, your group will give back to the community through meaningful work in our Seed To Share Garden™ from which 100% of the vegetables are donated to local food pantries.
  • Guided Farm Tours are 2 hours and include 1.5 hours of programming and 1/2 hour for lunch/snack (Bring your own)
  • Guided Farm Tours are recommended for groups of 10+ and cost $15/person, Free for educators
  • Smaller groups are welcome, however, there is a minimum fee of $150 for a Guided Farm Tour
GUIDED FARM TOUR TOPICS
GARDENING 101
Join us for a tour highlighting our educational vegetable and perennial beds and our Seed to Share Garden™. Topics covered may include basic garden planning, intercropping and companion planting, the importance of cover crops, organic and regenerative production methods, trellising techniques and beneficial insects to name a few! Please let us know if you have a specific interest, otherwise we will focus on the most seasonally interesting areas of the garden.
PERENNIAL FRUIT BASICS
So, what really goes into producing organic fruit? How can perennial systems help sequester carbon? What is the difference between perennials and annuals and how does that impact management strategies? What is the difference between conventional, IPM, organic and holistic fruit production? Discuss the answers to these questions and more as we enjoy a walk through our brambles and orchards.
FARM ECOLOGY
The natural world is filled with complex interactions and relationships. Here at Willow Creek Farm Preserve we strive to apply this lens to our farming practices. Come for a farm tour that highlights the many life forms from sheep to pest insects that inhabit the farm and learn how they interact. We will discover how using ecological principles can make us smarter farmers and stewards of the land.
FANTASTIC FIBER
Whether you are an avid knitter or simply love animals, this farm tour is for you! Come meet our sheep while we cover the basics of animal husbandry and the important considerations for producing organic wool. After visiting the herd, you will have the chance to see how fleece is transformed into products such as yarn through hands-on activities. We will also discuss the wool industry at large and the different scales of production.
Farm Tour Available Times: 
10am – 12noon or 12:30pm – 2:30pm or 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Request a visit!
WCFP SELF-GUIDED FARM TOUR EXPERIENCES
Have a smaller group but still interested in checking out WCFP? 
Download our self-guided map and explore WCFP on your own!
WCFP FIELD TRIPS
Preschool, Elementary & Middle Schoolers
*Scheduling Farm Tours Starting in June 2020.
Our multifaceted field trip experiences are divided into two parts: The Big Idea and Seed to Share Garden™ Community Service. We will tailor your experience to meet the needs of your age group. We offer two variations:

Traditional Field Trips
  • A 2 hour experience which includes 1.5 hours of programming and 1/2 hour for lunch/snack (Bring your own)
  • Traditional Field Trips are recommended for groups 15+; $8/student, $5/chaperone, Free for educators
  • Smaller groups are welcome, however, there is a minimum fee is $120 for Traditional Field Trips
Extended Day Field Trips
  • A 4 hour experience which includes 3.5 hours of programming and 1/2 hour for lunch/snack (Bring your own)
  • Extended Day Field Trips are recommended for groups of 15+; $12/student, $8/chaperone, Free for educators
  • Smaller groups are welcome, however, there is a minimum fee is $180 for Extended Day Field Trips
Part 1:
The Big Idea: During the first half of your field trip, we will have fun connecting to nature and the farm as we explore the landscape with a focus on The Big Idea of your choice. Please select one Big Idea for your field trip:
GARDEN EXPLORERS
Here at WCFP we love gardening! During this field trip we will dive into our Teaching and Perimeter Gardens to see, touch, smell and taste a variety of vegetables and herbs. We will introduce important strategies that we use on the farm to help maximize the health of our plants and produce the greatest yields.   We will also show examples of keeping the soil covered, planting helper/ companion plants and other regenerative organic techniques to address pests.  Most importantly we will share how fun growing veggies can be!
FRUIT ON THE FARM 
Farm fresh fruit is delicious! We grow perennial fruit (fruit that grows back year after year) because this is best for the soil and even a way to help store carbon to address climate change! Visit our blackberry, blueberry and raspberry fields and our Asian pear and apple orchards here at WCFP to see what these plants and trees look like with (and without fruit) depending on the timing of your field trip!  Also, we will discuss the pests that challenge us each growing season and the way to grow our fruit without synthetic chemicals!
FARM LIVING THINGS
There are numerous living things on the farm ranging from the tiniest microbes in the soil, to insects, wild animals and our own farm animals! Discover how all of these living things establish amazing relationships to create our diverse ecosystem. We will explore our fields, gardens and orchards as we seek to learn more about these fascinating creatures. We will also share the history of both the indigenous peoples who first lived on this land, as well as the farmers who grew crops here from the 1750's until today.
FIBER OF ALL KINDS
We will begin the field trip investigating animal fiber, including a review of wool from our Shetland sheep, cashmere, angora and camelid fibers.  During our wool exploration we will see how raw wool is converted to usable products.  We will branch out to talk about fiber that comes from plants like flax and hemp, which we grow on a small-scale at WCFP.  Lastly, we will introduce fiber originating from insects (silk worms) and synthetic man-made fibers.  We will make a fiber-based project to take home highlighting our discoveries about fiber!
Part 2:
Part 2: Seed to Share Garden™ Community Service: During the second half of your field trip, we will take time to give back to the community through meaningful work in our Seed to Share Garden™ from which 100% of the vegetables grown are donated to local food pantries. Whether it is sowing seeds, wrangling the weeds, or hauling in the harvest there is always a lot going on in the garden! This unique component of the field trip provides a platform to have age appropriate conversations about food security, ways to give back to the community and teamwork, in addition to hands-on gardening skills.
Field Trip Available Times: 
Traditional Field Trips: 10am – 12noon or 12:30pm – 2:30pm or 3:00pm – 5:00pm
Extended Day Field Trips: *Flexible Morning & Afternoon Start Times
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