GENERAL INFORMATION

• Chaperones are a MUST for farm trips. We require 1 adult to every 4 students.
   
• We are pleased to allow the teachers and chaperones in your group (1 adult to every 4 students) to tour free of charge. However, if your school or orgnization requires more than the 1:4 ratio of adults per student, we must charge for these additional adults. Please contact us before submitting your registration.
   
• All programs are approximately 1 1/2 hours in length; however, we can be flexible to meet your needs.
   
• All programs are $7/person, $100 minimum/program.
   
• Seasonal changes can affect the content of some programs.
   
• If you choose a program which does not involve farm animals, time can be made at the end of your program for the group to visit some of the animals.
   
• We are at the mercy of Mother Nature! Please schedule a rain date along with your first choice date. In some cases, programs can go on during inclement weather, but we do not recommend it.
   
• Dress for outdoor activity -- boots or old shoes recommended.
   
• Pre- and post–trip cross-curricular classroom support materials are available. An in-class pre-trip program can be arranged upon teacher request.
   
• Most of our programs can be altered to fit your group's needs. Just let us know what you want to take away from the experience.

1. Makeup of a Tree Learn about the parts of a tree, their jobs and how they work. Take a tree walk to observe many different trees and other plants. Explore the value of trees locally and globally. Grades 1 to 4
2. Habitat within an Oak Tree Who lives in, on, under and around the tree? Take a tree walk to observe the variety of life dependent on trees. Explore the parts of a tree and their significance to other life forms. Grades Pre-K to 2
3. Habitat Exploration Take a farm and forest walk to observe the wide variety of habitats on this one site. Fields, hardwood forest, pine forest, vernal pools, spring-fed pond, brooks and adjacent wetlands. Observe and compare the differences in plant and animal life, soil and land features as your group hikes the trails through the various habitats featured. Grades 2 to 6
4. Maple Madness (March only) Students learn about the history of maple sugaring through Native American legends and colonial traditions. Take a walk to observe how the red maple trees are tapped for collecting sap. Visit the sugar shack to learn how the sap is changed to tasty sweet syrup. Grades Pre-K to 3
5. Maple Madness (March Only) How is watery tree sap converted to thick sweet syrup? Learn about the parts of a tree to understand more about sap production. Walk through the sugar bush to see how the trees are tapped for the precious sap collection. Visit the sugar shack to observe how the concepts of gravity, heat conduction, and evaporation are used in the modern production of syrup. Learn how to use a hydrometer and estimate the amount of sap needed to make a gallon of syrup. And, of course, sample the sweet harvest. Grades 4 to 8
6. The Sense-Sational Farm Take a walk through the woods and farmyard to discover all five senses. Smell the secret scent within the birch tree, taste sweet honey and maple syrup, hear the sounds of the woodland and farmyard, touch the rough bark of an oak tree and the soft coat of a goat, and see so many colorful features of the farm. Grades Pre-K to 2
7. What is a Farm? Hidden Meadows Farm is a true example of a diverse and sustainable New England family farm. Take a walking tour and hayride to discover the many features that make up the farm, from farm animals, structures and equipment, to crops and products. Grades Pre-K to 4
8. Babies & Mothers (Late Spring) What a fun time to visit the farm! Observe a variety of baby animals, some raised by their moms and others raised by the farmer. While your group is here, you will have a walking tour of the farmyard and a hayride tour of the woodlands and fields -- both very important aspects of the entire farm. Grades Pre-K to 2
9. Lifecycles on the Farm Explore how work on the farm and life on the farm changes with the seasons. Observe how plants like garden flowers, vegetables, and maple and pine trees grow, reproduce and survive. Investigate the animal lifecycles on the farm, anything from frogs to bees to chickens and cattle. Grades K - 4
10. Step Back in Time... The Farm Then and Now Hidden Meadows Farm has been settled since the mid 1700's. Two homesteads were established on the current farmland. One was abandoned by the early 1900's and one is occupied to this day. Hike or take a hayride into the woodlands to observe the site of the historic "Moon Homestead." Develop theories as to what the farm site was like based on land features, remains of manmade stone and soil formations, forest succession and historic land use. Then compare and contrast the current farm site including products and practices. Grades 3 - 8

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120c Breakheart Hill Road • West Greenwich, RI 02817 • 401-392-3469