Flint Hill Farm Educational Center, Inc. is located on a 28-acre farm in Lehigh County, PA. 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 the county. Following our mission of “Feeding the Spirit, Educating the Mind, Preserving the Community," we have created a threefold approach. The Educational Center has started semester programs to reach out to the community, to the grammar and middle school students of our local schools and the vocational training programs for disabled teens and young adults.

For community education there are fall and winter courses available in basic and advanced horsemanship, training teams and teamsters for horse power on small farms, plus spinning, knitting and weaving classes. A program for school tours is being set up with the local superintendent of schools for the spring directed to the local grammar and middle schools with the goal of increasing awareness of the origin of our food and respect for local resources. In collaboration with colleges, we are continuing the assisted vocational training program for teens and young adults of local school districts. There are many farms in the area that would benefit from well equipped young adults willing to be employed as farm staff working with soil and plants, small animals, and ruminants.

Family “farm stays” allow families to experience life “on the farm” together one day at a time. While here visiting “farmers” collect their own eggs for breakfast, help milk the cows and goats, assist with the feeding and handling of the horses, sheep, chickens, pigs and goats to their level of comfort. Get back in touch with the world of your parents or grandparents. Over night accommodations are available at the farm house.

Yearly the farm offers OPEN HOUSE in both the spring and fall, welcoming the changes of the seasons with demonstrations, seasonal foods, tours and horse drawn hayrides. “Lights in the Woods”, a winter seasonal event, takes the visitors on horse drawn hayrides after dark through the back fields lit with white Christmas lights.

Farm Camp/ Horse Camp for ages 7-15 is offered during the months of July and August. No experience necessary, young people enjoy hours of fun and recreation learning new skills and making new friends. Horse camp offers 4 hours of riding and horse related activities in the AM, crafts and horse related programs in the PM. A special Horse Show is open to the families on Friday to show off new skills and new friends. Farm Camp involves our camper with all aspects of the summer season on the farm. Time is divided between gardening, animal care and handling and forestry projects. Each group is unique, creating their own area of focus for the week.

Our Vocational Program is open to teens and young adults with mental and physical challenges. The farm experience allows a stimulating safe environment to learn job skills that are applicable where ever one works. On the farm there is a place for every level of skill and ability.

Carriage driving clinics for beginning drivers or those desiring to “brush up”on their skills are offered spring and fall. We use our horses and carriages so that we can focus on the needs of the individual. Experience both single cart and team driving using our Belgian and Percheron teams.

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

We work closely with many groups: the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Rodale Institute, Lehigh Valley Conservation District, PA Women in Agriculture, Heritage Conservancy, Buy Fresh Buy Local PA, Greater Lehigh Valley Food Alliance. The Educational Center is located on a Preserved Farm and supports the efforts of our community to be good stewards of our water, air and soil resources.

The Educational Center is in its beginning stages. As the basic modules become solidified, other broader visions will follow.

The Flint Hill Farm Educational Center is classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by the Internal Revenue Service. If you would like to financial support to the educational center or make a gift in some other form, please contact your financial advisor to discuss your tax incentives. For more information or to discuss how you can support the Flint Hill Farm Educational Center, please call Kathleen Fields at 610-838-2928 or by e-mail at kathy@flinthill-farm.org.

“Educating students with special needs to meet the special needs of local farmers.”