Family Service Down on the Farm, Pennsylvania

The Trip

Flint Hill Farm, located in Eastern Pennsylvania not far from Bethlehem, dates back to about 1850. The working farm offers wooded paths, pastures for sheep, goats, horses, and cows, and assorted gardens planted with herbs, flowers and vegetables. The Farm is staffed primarily by volunteers, and we will be working closely with them during the week.

The farm is a dynamic environment moving in harmony with the changing seasons.

The Educational Center grows lives: children, students, adults and seniors. The multifaceted Agro-Educational facility has expanded its focus to meet the educational and nutritional needs of the rapidly growing area with the desire to bridge the growing gap between the family farm and the suburban communities growing within and around the Greater Lehigh Valley.

Trip participants will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of farm chores including milking goats, feeding livestock, cleaning stalls, collecting eggs, assisting with the feeding and handling of the horses, sheep, chickens, pigs and goats to their level of comfort. Their animals greatly appreciate kindness and attention.  

Our goals for the children on this trip are the same as the goals of the Farm for their campers: increased self-esteem, team work ethic, appreciation of soil, plants and animals.

The minimum age for kids is 10. Even though this trip is categorized as a family outing, couples and singles are also welcome.  

Trade electrons for farm molecules. The leader asks every participant, adults and kids, to forego portable electronic devices for the entire week. This means that once you arrive on Sunday, such distractions will be locked away and not activated until you depart from the Farm on the following Saturday.  If you are unwilling to make and keep this promise, please do not sign up for this trip. There are two exceptions: adults are encouraged to carry cell phones for emergencies and kids are encouraged to call loved ones daily to tell them all about their adventures.    

The Flint Hill Farm

A description from the Farm's website:

Flint Hill Farm Educational Center, Inc. is located on a 28-acre farm in Lehigh County, PA.

Following their mission of “Feeding the Spirit, Educating the Mind, Preserving the Community," they have created a threefold approach: 1) Feeding the Spirit. On-farm opportunities for young adults with mental and physical challenges. 2) Educating the Mind. Grade appropriate agro-educational programs for pre-K through high school. 3) Preserving the community. Year-round educational programs for community residents of all ages, open to the public farm store and regular open houses. Families are their focus. 

The farm store is open to the public daily selling pastured eggs, goat and cow milk artisan cheeses, pasteurized yogurt, and fresh cream butter. They are a Certified Raw Milk Dairy through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and proudly display the PA Preferred labels on their food. Their products are available at a number of local Farmers Markets from May through November.

The Farm has a very active camper program, conducts school tours, and has pony and hay rides. They conduct workshops in cheese making, bread baking, soap making, beekeeping and gardening. 

The Project

We will assist in getting the Farm ready for their energetic and focused summer programs. The agenda may even include construction and building maintenance.  

Note that because of the nature of service trips and the pre-planning needed, the work project may change and the Farm may have different priorities once our departure date arrives.

2017 was the first year for this service trip. The children collected eggs daily, bottle-fed kids, raked manure out of the horse stalls, raked outside paddocks from winter accumulation of hay, brushed and washed draft horses, fed and watered livestock, milked goats.  The following construction projects were completed (as well as general repairs): drywall and ceiling installation installed in blacksmith shop, platform for harnessing draft horses, hanging harness holders and reinforcing walls.  

Farm work is generally compressed in the early morning when all the animals need to be watered and fed. There is some downtime late morning and early afternoon. And then the late afternoon and evening there is another burst of activity.  

We will be working closely with the Farm staff and hope to learn new skills as they share their knowledge and experience.  

Note that children must be supervised at all times. Even though Flint Hill Farm is an educational farm and has an active camper program, such programs will not be available during our stay. A farm is not a petting zoo and the animals, although domesticated, are not pets and can be unpredictable.  

The intent is for the children to work. This is a service trip. The leaders and farm staff will not be planning specific activities to entertain or educate the children.  The goal is to have adults and children appreciate farming and understand where food comes from by working on a farm. Depending on the age of the children and skill level of the adults there may be some down time.  

Getting There

The nearest airport is the Lehigh Valley International Airport. Detailed directions will be distributed prior to the trip.  Because of its location, there is no public transportation to the Farm. Philadelphia International Airport is about 60 miles away and may have more reasonable air fares. Participants flying will need to rent a car to get to the Farm. 

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Sleeping quarters will be the three bedrooms in the farmhouse, the loft in the blacksmith shop, or a trailer. Because of limited bed capacity some participants will have to sleep on cots or air mattresses on the floor. You will have roommates. There is only one full bathroom in the farmhouse. Because of the limited capacity of the septic system, trippers are asked to use the port-a-potties as much as possible. 

Cooking, dishwashing, and related commissary duties will be done by the participants with direction from the leaders. Meals will be served at the farmhouse. We prepare meals for a group and cannot accommodate individual preferences and special diets. If you require a special diet or foods, please plan to bring food. You will have access to the fully equipped kitchen to prepare your own meals. As much as possible we will be sourcing food from the Flint Hill and nearby farms.

Flint Hill Farm is a Certified Raw Milk Dairy. Raw milk is milk that is not pasteurized. We will be using raw milk and raw milk products from the Farm.

Note that alcohol and tobacco use are not permitted on the Farm. Transportation to and from the Farm as well as personal bedding (sleeping bags and pillows) are not included.

Trip Difficulty 

This trip is suitable for adults and children who like the challenge in a work project and want to learn more about farming.  Participants should be in good physical condition to enjoy this trip. Our work will range from moderate to strenuous.  Expect fog, rain, manual labor, dirt, and sweat. Team work is essential, safety paramount, and no one is expected to perform beyond his or her physical capabilities.  Help is always available – a positive attitude and friendly cooperation are better assets than brute strength.  

Every effort will be made to match the task with the skill level and capability of each adult and child.  All participants are encouraged to learn new skills.  But this is not a day camp for children with activities planned for that environment. The focus of this service trip is the completion of chores and projects that will maintain and improve the Farm.     

Equipment and Clothing

A detailed equipment list will be sent prior to departure time. 

Work gloves and safety glasses are provided. Safety glasses are required for any striking work, use of power tools, weed-whacking, or otherwise when eye protection is needed. Bring clothing you can layer on or off when the temperature or exertion level changes or when the wind picks up. 

Please bring:

• T-shirts and other clothing for the week
• Long-sleeved shirts: lightweight and heavier for chilly nights
• Work or hiking boots required. Sneakers and open-toed shoes are not permitted while working.
• Mud boots (optional)
• Long pants
• Sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen
• Camera and binoculars
• Daypack, canteen
• Rain gear: prepare for rain, equip for rain (rain jackets and pants)
• Sleeping bags and ground padding

Group cooking and cleanup gear is provided. The farmhouse is well-stocked with individual eating utensils. 

References

• Flint Hill Farm Website: http://flinthill-farm.org/index.php?route=common/home 

Conservation

The Educational Center is located on a Preserved Farm and supports the efforts of the community to be good stewards of our water, air, and soil resources.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.