Ever wonder what families at The New School do in their “real life?”  Last weekend some adult members of The New School community gathered at Dragonfly Meadow Farm in Limerick, Maine, to participate in activities that have been offered to children at the farm’s summer camp programs for the past 5 years.  Dragonfly Meadow Farm is home to the Little Farm School, a Waldorf-inspired, early childhood program for ages 2 through 6.  Mary Graham is founder and teacher here, where “daily life on the farm is the curriculum, and the blessings of childhood are preserved through play.”

The experience was filled with hands-on activities that brought adult campers into the barn and gardens of Dragonfly Meadow Farm.  Campers tried their hands at milking goats and collecting eggs from the chickens, hiked to a neighboring pasture to visit the cows, and harvested the bountiful wild blueberries.
The farmers-in-training also ventured through the organic gardens to guess what was growing, explored the various herbs in the herb garden and harvested the vegetables ready for picking. The day reached a satisfying ending when the group joined to share a meal they helped put together with ingredients right from the farm!
Other activities included crafting an herbal salve, creating a special blend of herbal tea, sewing reusable tea bags, and making (and eating!) goat cheese.
One of the camp participants shared, “Just so much fun, informative and creative!”


Dragonfly Meadow Farm plans to offer more educational opportunities like this in their workshop series “Hands On Homesteading,” coming soon!