February 15 - 19

THE WINTER FARM….A WEEK FOR KIDS

Farm animals and wild animals, carpentry, spinning and cooking…and a lot of time outside (we hope with lots and lots of snow!) Kids will feed and groom, create and day-dream. Chores everyday, stories everyday, and each day time for a special project. Limited to 8 kids. $290 per child.

April 19 - 23

SHEEP WEEK FOR KIDS

The ewes will have lambed (at least 95% of them)…so this is the week we celebrate sheep. Each child takes care of a ewe and her lamb/s all week, weighing and measuring and just hanging out. We’ll watch our “sheep’s home birth videos”, and learn about feeding and care. We’ll wash wool, dye and spin it into yarn. We’ll weave on small looms. We’ll watch border collies herding sheep and we’ll put up an electric fence. We’ll even taste some sheep milk cheeses! Limited to 8 kids. $290 per child.

June 14 – 18

FARM SAMPLER

Come for a day….or all week! Summer schedules vary a lot…so this is our free-standing week. Animal chores every day and a project every day….but we’ll decide together each morning whether we’ll build, cook, garden or maybe hike. This is also open to older kids- it’s our chance to spend some time with our older friends. Limited to 8 kids who’ve finished 4^th through 9^th grades. $290 for the week or $65 per day.

June 21 - 25

ALL THE GOOD STUFF THAT COMES FROM A FARM

Sheep, goats, poultry, rabbits, pigs- every day is chore day and kids do it all! Then there’s the garden and then each day we’ll make something both useful and beautiful. We’ll build something to take home and work on an animal shelter for the farm. We’ll cook, dig in the dirt and go for walks. We’ll spin and weave and listen to stories and farm songs. Limited to 8 kids. $290 for the week.

June 28 – July 2 & July 5 - 9

KIDS’ FIBER INTENSIVE

Two whole weeks to really have time to make different kinds of cloth. We’ll spin (on hooks, drop spindles and wheels), and we’ll weave on small and large looms. We’ll dye some fibers before spinning, and then some yarn. We’ll make felt hats or bags, and maybe weave a felt mat. And each child will weave a project of their own design, even warping their loom . And of course we’ll spend time with the plants and animals whose fibers we’re using. Breaks will include hikes, music and stories. Limited to 6 kids (5^th through 9^th grade) who really want to make cloth, $600 per child.

July 12 - 16

ALL THE GOOD STUFF THAT COMES FROM A FARM

Just like the June program, above. Except that this one’s for slightly younger kids, so pace will be a bit slower and projects a bit simpler. Limited to 8 kids, ages 5-9. $300 per child.

July 19 - 23 & July 26 - 30

TWO WEEKS ON THE FARM!

Like “All the Good Stuff”- but lots and lots more time. So the carpentry project will be more complicated, we’ll cook for two days, we’ll weave on little and on big looms, we’ll make different kinds of paper…. and we’ll still have daily chores, stories- all of our usual basics. We’ll also go on a special trip to another farm.

Limited to 8 kids). $565 per child.

August 2-6

FARMING’S ABOUT FOOD!

A whole week of animals, plants and cooking! We’ll do morning chores…but lots & lots of the time we’ll cook. Bread and muffins, jam and pie…and some vegetable experiments? Pickles? Cheese anyone? How about ice cream? A lot is possible…we’ll visit at least two other farms -- we’ll plan our fun together. One of our farm trip days may start pretty early! And we’ll be making several of our own lunches. Limited to 4 kids (entering 1^st through 6^th grade), $300 per child.

August 9 – 11

HATS, BALLS & BOXES & BOWLS

Three days of playing with paper making and felt. We’ll make several kinds of paper- and then take the paper a step further…And we’ll felt several kinds of things from sheep wool. And of course have some animal time.

Limited to 6 kids, $175 per child.

August 17 & 18

SHELTER MADE BEAUTIFUL

Before the program even begins we’ll have a phone/email discussion about which animal we’re going to re-house….then on day one we build the new house, day two we finish construction and have fun with paint (maybe a sheep or turkey mural?). Limited to 4 kids, 4^th through 9^th grade. $100 each.

August 23 – 27 (or maybe shorter)

PAPER, WORDS AND PICTURES

Quieter days. Time to draw, collage and write. We’ll play with clay, and make animals out of sticks & wire & paper & clay &…. After we spend time just hanging out with the animals. Chores are optional this time, day-dreaming is required. Limited to 6 kids, $290 for the whole week but adjusted for those whose school starts earlier.

Unless otherwise indicated, the programs listed above are for children entering grades 2 through 7. Programs run from 8:30 until 4:30 each day. Kids bring their own lunch, but beverages and snacks are provided.

For families

The farm offers half-day programs for families with young children which combine animal care and cooking or creating. We also put on short, inexpensive programs about caring for specific farm animals.

And for adults…

The farm offers a variety of fiber and farming classes and programs, and occasional retreats. We also sell fiber and special order poultry and meat.

For everyone…

SHEARING DAY on March 13

Our annual wool harvest festival. Sheep and fleece and wool in all forms. Great food and music; beautiful wool and angora everywhere! Maybe even a spinner or two- in action. No charge (but farm scholarship donations cheerfully accepted). Come between 10:30 and 2:00 to see the actual shearing of most of the farm’s sheep; come between 9:30 and 4:00 to buy wool, eat and/or talk with the animals or farmers.

LAMBS’ OPEN HOUSE on April 4

Our Easter tradition. Many of the lambs will have been born, so there’ll be lots of frolicking! We’ll also try for baby rabbits and ducklings or goslings (no promises here). We can promise some baby chicks! And of course adult goats and poultry, in addition to the sheep. Come between 2:00 and 4:30 and watch lambs leap! No charge, but donations for Right Sharing of World Resources most welcome.

For more information: Jill Horton-Lyons or Jim Lyons (413) 548-3940; e-mail: jill@winterberryfarm.org

Winterberry Farm, PO Box 701, 21 Teawaddle Hill Rd, Leverett, MA 01054

Or visit www.winterberryfarm.org for pictures and more information!

To register, send form below with payment. Make checks payable to Winterberry Farm. Full payment is requested for day programs; a 50% deposit for longer programs. Some scholarship money is available—please ask!

Program 1 Name: ________________________________ Program 1 Date: ___________________

Program 2 Name: ________________________________ Program 2 Date: ___________________

Name(s): _______________________________________ Age (for kids): _____________________

Address: __________________________ City: __________________ State: ______ Zip: ________

Phone: _______________ E-mail___________________________

Contribution to farm scholarship fund: _______ Total enclosed: _______

Winterberry Farm is a small family teaching farm. We raise a lot of our own food and we offer very small programs for families, for kids and for adults; we provide a place where people of different faiths—and people seeking faith—can reflect upon and share their call to care for the earth.