About Us
At Meadows Bee Farm we believe that homesteading and farming is the way to a healthy future. Toward this vision, we designed our Young Farmers Program to teach young people ecological farming and farm arts, all while encouraging healthy nutrition-based eating. We aim to resurface traditional, real life learning via a more grounded form of education. At farm school sessions and live events, Meadows Bee Farm staff experts teach courses ranging from seed starting, livestock care and beekeeping to maple sugaring, farm crafts and ceramics. Young participants can earn beautifully crafted badges, at 3 different levels for over 30 different subjects, via lesson plans with multiple activities for each badge work requirement. In 2022 alone, we hosted over 750 Young Farmers and awarded over 400 badges. Since our first program in 2012, we have been growing and evolving our practices for greater engagement, learning and a wider, more impactful outreach.
To share our work and further expand our reach, our YouTube channel now hosts video how-tos and explainers of what we do throughout the farm. Additionally, we free-source our curriculum and lesson plans and offer consultation to other farms interested in providing similar educational programming. We have worked hard to find out what works best. Now we’d like to share these methods to passionate farmers and educators all over the world.
Farming Practices
FOOD — What is it? How do we grow it? What is edible? What do we really want to eat? Join me in fields and farms as we figure it out!
We are a community-based farm, where the relationship between humans, animals and soil is brought together to bring vitality to the Earth while creating healthy food and medicine.
As biodynamic farmers, we look first to provide from within, creatively, with an attitude of joy and abundance as we find our way to live in harmony now and into the future, honoring each other and our beloved Mother Earth. We consider our farm an integral system making our own preparations, spreading this biodynamic compost as we allow our livestock to help fertilize our farms.
Orchards & Gardens
Perennial fruit and nut trees, ponds and swales, create a vibrant edible forest Integrating Agroecology (agriculture and ecology).
Our Animals
At Meadows Bee Farm we have a variety of Livestock. It consists of two diary cows and their calves, 20 sheep, 30 chickens, 25 turkeys and three peafowl. We rotationally graze our cows and sheep throughout the pastures and orchards, which helps improve the soil and orchards. The chickens are free-range, having access to a coop for safety and nesting. Our peafowl roam the farm freely to ensure that our other poultry are safe from predators. The turkeys have their own palace and chalet embellished with trees and shrubs to mimic their natural habitat. Having multiple livestock species rotationally grazing helps break the life cycle of parasites and in turn lowers the animals bacterial loads. We also use herbal methods to ensure the vitality and well being of our livestock.
Honey Bees & Apiary
The hillside apiary, home to our bees, are raised using both Langstroth and top-bar hives. The bees provide the excitement of having pollinators throughout the farm.
Come and look around the bee world today; their houses, their food, their diseases, the bees themselves, and how they are employed by people around the globe. Whether these bees are gentle Italians, determined Russians, or incredibly aggressive Africans, there is much we need to learn if we are going to save them!
Raw Milk Dairy
We have two diary cows names Jupiter and Rain; both of which are super sweet Jersey gals. we practice calf sharing for the benifit that our calves will grow healthier, allowing time to interact with other herd mates as well as being nurtured by their moms. We milk once daily giving more time for grazing. Our raw milk is nutrient-dense to help nourish our community. We also make yogurt and cheese with our cows milk.
Ceramic Studio
An open studio with instructional classes in hand building and wheel techniques for both adults and children.
Field House Library
A borrowing system, open to the public (by appointmant), houses over 2,000 books on progressive agriculture, theory, science and biodynamic research. email raquel@meadowsbee.com
Craft Barn
An herb drying room and space to create wool handicraft, including carding, spinning and felting.
WWOOFERS & Interns
Young people from all over the world and local students as well are welcome to participate in our sustainable farm program. Three week to one year opportunities. Check out our Wwoofing profile to apply. Hope to hear from you soon!