Scout Programs
For over a decade, Natick Community Organic Farm has hosted Boy and Girl Scout Programs for all ages – from Daisy and Cub Scouts to Eagle and Gold Award Scouts – as they learn and work alongside our farmers and educators at this unique community resource.
Scout Programs offer a unique opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture and animal husbandry, local eating, environmental stewardship, and much more! Farm animals, vegetable and flower gardens, beekeeping, sheep shearing, greenhouses, maple sugaring and a forested woodland trail are just some of the options for exploration at the Farm.
Scout programs run rain or shine, year round and programs are 100% outdoors, please ensure that everybody is dressed for the weather and wears sturdy footwear.
Please note fees do not include badges.
Programs for All Scouts
Explore the Farm’s changing seasons by joining us for an interactive guided farm tour of a real, working farm. Touch a freshly laid egg and meet our chickens, goats, sheep, pigs, rabbits and turkeys; greet baby animals; and explore our herbs, veggies and flowers in the fields or greenhouses.
Tours are for all ages and may include animal life cycles and fun facts, organic ecology, composting, sustainability and more!
Please note the animals and plants we have on the Farm are seasonal and may not all be on the Farm on any given day.
When: Year round, customized to fit your schedule based on Farm staff availability
Time: 1 hour
Fee: $100 up to 10 scouts, each additional scout $10
Chaperones: 2 chaperones free of charge per 10 scouts
Ages: suitable for all ages
Scouts will get a taste of farm life and experience the seasonal cycles of nature as they work alongside our farmers to feed and water our animals, tend to our flowers and harvest our vegetables. All farm chores, no matter how small, represent meaningful farm work.
Please note that farm chores are both seasonal and specific to the day so vary in availability.
When: Year round, customized to fit your schedule and based on Farm staff availability
Time: 90 minutes
Fee: $120 up to 10 scouts, each additional scout $12
Chaperones: 2 chaperones free of charge per 10 scouts
Ages: suitable for all ages
In mid February and into March, we invite Scouts to learn all about maple sugaring in New England. Learn the history of sugaring, visit our tapped sugar maples, sample dripping sap, and stop by the sugar shack where sap might be boiling down into delicious syrup.
We expect to be running maple sugar tours between mid February and mid March but cannot guarantee we will actively be boiling on any particular day.
When: Select dates in February and March, contact maple@gmail.com for more information
Time: 60 minutes
Fee: $100 up to 10 scouts, each additional scout $10
Chaperones: 2 chaperones free of charge per 10 scouts
Ages: suitable for all ages
Why do we shear sheep in the spring? How do sheep eat with no front teeth? Learn about the adaptations sheep have developed and investigate their fleeces. Try your hand at carding and weaving the wool from our sheep, and learn what makes wool so wonderful!
We have a small flock of sheep and cannot guarantee our farmers will be shearing our sheep during your visit.
When: April/May
Time: 90 minutes
Fee: $120 up to 10 scouts, each additional scout $12
Chaperones: 2 chaperones free of charge per 10 scouts
Ages: suitable for all ages
Scouts are invited for an overnight adventure at the Farm! Pitch your tent and enjoy the night sounds on the Farm. Help our farmers feed and water the farm animals in the morning.
Please note that there is no toilet or water spigot in the woods where you will be based. Scouts will need to be fully self-sufficient with water containers etc. The closest toilet and water spigots are the composting toilet and nearby spigot near the barn.
We are limited on space and can accommodate up to six 4-person tents.
*Troop leaders must attend a pre-camping briefing at the Farm.
When: Sept – Nov/April – June, Friday/Saturday night
Time: 3:30pm check in/11:00am check out
Fee: $25 per person
Chaperones: 2 chaperones free of charge per 10 scouts
Ages: All
There is always something to do down on the Farm and help with chores is always appreciated! Tasks will vary depending on the season, however see the list below for types of activities Scouts may get involved with:
- Seeding
- Transplanting
- Mucking animal stalls
- Harvesting
- Animal Care
- Weeding and cultivating
- Mulching and winterizing garden beds
When: Year round, customized to fit your schedule and based on Farm staff availability
Time: up to 3 hours
Fee: $150 up to 10 Scouts, each additional Scout $15
Chaperones: 2 chaperones free of charge per 10 scouts
Ages: 11 years and over
Questions? Email Emily@natickfarm.org
Boy Scout Programs
Boy Scouts have the choice of Farm Fun Programs, Farm programming tailored to specific Boy Scout badges, Scout Camping Overnights, and Eagle Scout projects.
We are happy to work with Scout leaders to tailor our programming to satisfy your Scouts’ badge requirements. Areas of study on the Farm include:
- Organic Farming
- Soil Ecology
- Vegetables
- Flowers
- Bugs
- Bees
- Geology and Soil
- Farm Animals
- New England Forest History and Ecology
- Worms and Composting
- Eating Local
- Trees and Maple Sugaring
- Sheep Shearing
When: Year round, customized to fit your schedule and based on Farm staff availability
Time: 90 minutes
Fee: $120 up to 10 scouts, each additional scout $12
Chaperones: 2 chaperones free of charge per 10 scouts
The Farm would be happy to talk to Scouts about hosting an Eagle Scout project. This is a collaborative project between the Scout and the Farm; we encourage Scouts to contact us well in advance so that we can work together to put together a fun and successful project.
Girl Scout Programs
We host a variety of Journey and Badge programs, please see below for the specifics of each program. If there is a journey or badge you are interested in that is not listed below, please contact emily@natickfarm.org to discuss.
The Farm can customize times and days to fit your troop’s schedule, although some programs are seasonally dependent. Materials and badges are not included unless specifically stated.
Journeys/Badge Programs
When: Year round, customized to fit your schedule and based on Farm staff availability
Time: 90 minutes
Fee: $120 up to 10 scouts, each additional scout $12
Chaperones: 2 chaperones free of charge per 10 scouts
We love to work with Scouts on their Bronze, Silver and Gold Awards to create a lasting impact in their community, please contact emily@natickfarm.org to discuss.
Earn the Clover “Use Resources Wisely,” or Rosie “Make the World a Better Place” Petals with our Interactive Farm Tour.
Journey Awards
Welcome to the Daisy Flower Garden: It’s Your World – Change It!
Let’s put our heads together and see what sprouts! The Farm can help Daisies learn the skills to create their own mini-garden to earn The Watering Can or to take action to earn The Golden Honey Bee awards.
Choose between our interactive farm tour and our Soil & Plants* program.
Between Earth & Sky: It’s Your Planet – Love It!
The Farm is all about the SOIL! Earn the Blue Bucket or Firefly awards and explore the sweet smell of soil, how to make a feast of plant parts, or find seeds on the Farm on our nature trail. Programs can include trees and tree rubbings, sampling our field vegetables, learning about flowers, or taking care of a natural treasure.
Choose between our interactive farm tour and our Soil & Plants* program.
5 Flowers, 4 Stories, 3 Cheers for Animals: It’s Your Story – Tell it!
Chickens, pigs, bunnies and more! Learn how the Farm raises its animals humanely and sustainably. Daisies can learn about one particular animal, or get “out and about” with all the farm animals as they journey towards their Birdbath or Red Robin awards.
Choose between our interactive farm tour, chore time, Egg to Chicken** and Sheep Shearing programs.
*SOIL & PLANTS: Learn about healthy soil and friendly worms, bugs and bees. See what’s growing in our greenhouses, discover the types of flowers and vegetables we grow on the Farm, and learn what seeds need to grow! And, maybe create your own potted mini-garden right here at the Farm – we bring the soil, you bring the pot and plants!
**EGG TO CHICKEN: Meet the chicks, hens and roosters as we tour the chicken yard (and maybe cuddle an egg), and learn where they originated from in the wild. Daisies will befriend one chicken or chick and learn up close about all things chicken – including their amazing adaptations, where eggs come from, and how to turn an egg into a chick!
Bugs
Discover all the different roles creepy crawlies play on the farm! Search for munching decomposers, pick pesky pests off of plants, and help the pollinators make our fruit grow! Find out which bugs are helpful to farmers and which are harmful. Through a series of hands-on investigations, students will explore the Farm’s fields, composting system and greenhouse to see the smallest parts of a working farm. Bug pipe cleaner materials included. Steps 1-5.
Pets
Chore Time is a special opportunity for Scouts to feed and water our farm animals and secure them for the night. Learn about the unique health issues of our Farm animals, and help clean a stall or cage. A special focus will be on two popular home pets, rabbits and chickens. Steps 2, 3, 5.
Flowers
Stop and smell the flowers! Depending on the season, Juniors can talk to our resident flower expert, learn all about plant parts, and go sniffing around our flower fields. Discover the medicinal and calming properties of flowers, and have fun with flower art. If flowers are in bloom on the Farm, Juniors can arrange one bouquet and donate it to the organization of their choice. Steps 1-5.
Animal Habitats
How do farmers mimic forest animal habitats on the farm? Observe the farm animals and explore the unique “habitat” the Farm creates. If we have baby animals, get a peek at how we keep them comfy. Venture onto our nature trail and look for animal habitats in a New England forest. Learn why invasive plants are detrimental to animal habitats, and consider planting a native berry shrub in our forest to keep the birds and animals happy (shrub not included). Steps 1, 2, 3, 5
Gardener
Take a tour of our flower and vegetable fields, and also discover some of the smaller vegetable, flower and herb gardens on the property! Learn about seasonal growing and eating, experiment with seeds, make a dream garden collage using our abundant flower and vegetable catalogs, discover our hardiness zone, and volunteer a little time in our fields and gardens (depending on season). Steps 1-5.
Trees
Time this badge to coordinate with maple sugaring season at the Farm! Or, take a guided walk through our forested nature trail, identify tree types, and learn about the forest/farm life cycle of our trees. Read our favorite tree legend and craft your own story round-robin style. How might you help a tree thrive at the Farm or in our forest? Steps 1, 2, 3, 5.
BADGES
Locavore
What is a “locavore”? Talk to folks at the Farm, and learn about the people who grow and buy our food. Discover 10 plants eaten seasonally in New England, get one of our “insider” seasonal eating recipes, and cook a simple dish (at home) showcasing local ingredients, like a simple omelet with our eggs! (Ingredients not included, and are seasonally dependent.) Steps 1, 2, 3, 4
Voice for Animals
Chore Time is a special opportunity for Scouts to feed and water our farm animals and secure them for the night. Step 3.
Journey Awards
Sow What? It’s Your Planet – Love It
Volunteer on the Farm, raise chicks for the Farm (late winter/early spring), or propose a simple “take action” farm project. How can we help you on your Journey? Let us know!
