GO FARM! Girls on the Farm!

"The experience of being useful at a young age."

Since Title IX, we have observed huge advances in athletic and scholarly programs for young females; yet, adolescence remains a time when girls typically begin to lose confidence in themselves -- their bodies and appearance start their inevitable change -- and the media and marketing industry push the message of being beautiful and sexy. But not accomplished.

The gift and practical knowledge of useful work is missing from the lives of children, and there is a tremendous disconnect for most kids between the human world and the rest of the world. As our technology accelerates, this disconnection gets wider and deeper.

At Genesis Farm, we offer a program where adolescent girls, (average age 10-13), come to the farm for four afternoons a week during the summer. We call it GO FARM! -- "Girls on the farm," where the girls learn how to farm. We follow the simplest, and perhaps the most profoundly effective, pedagogical idea: learning by doing...and doing it in an environment where all efforts have direct and lasting value.

By participating in the life of the farm, the girls realize that what they are doing is not for their benefit or gain alone, but for something greater than themselves. This promotes a feeling of being useful and necessary that is deeply significant: they are needed to contribute to the daily survival of the farm rather than mere consumers of a product. The farm takes on a life of its own and the girls understand that they are part of that life and crucial to its success and well being. We work with the kids, not for the kids, and they come away satisfied and with their knees dirty!

This type of directed activity entrusts the girls to take responsibility for the tasks that needs to be done -- gaining a sense of ownership and accomplishment. It is hard work and the results are real with an immediate benefit that they can see. Nothing is invented for them. They come to learn, to appreciate the work, and recognize that they are being treated like beginner adults, knowing that their efforts matter. Most of all, they get that sense of connection -- being part of something that is larger than themselves -- and discover how hard and vital and challenging small farm life can be. The girls come to feel capable, strong, brave and newly skilled. And who knows? Perhaps they'll grow up to be successful farmers.

GO FARM! is a program of The Genesis Farm Educational Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit. Please visit www.ncwolan.org to learn more about the Foundation and other programs.

GO FARM! for the Summer

Four afternoons a week (Tuesday-Friday) during the summer months, adolescent girls (10-13 yrs old) come to the farm to learn all manner of small farm life: growing, harvesting and selling crops off the farm; learning the behavior and caring for the farm animals; developing skills for building and repairing houses for animals; learning about the wild creatures that call the farm home; finding yourself through your own special place on the farm and keeping a personal journal of your thoughts and experiences.

1. Learn to grow, harvest and market food from the land (vegetables, flowers, herbs).
2. Understand and care for the animals who are the heart and soul of the farm.
3. Develop a keen appreciation and respect for Nature.
4. Learn new skills and feeling accomplished.
5. Participate in group dynamics and cooperation.
6. Discover unique talents and skills through art and Nature.

Tuition: $315/wk with 10% discount for sibling. Discount for full term: $300/wk (paid in advance).

Download application form and return with a $30.00 nonrefundable application fee to: Genesis Farm Educational Foundation, 1841 Jo Mac Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27516.

Application available: Call 919-968-4759 or email genesisfarm@me.com.

1:00-1:30: Gather and plan
1:30- 3:30: Immersion in small farm life (break included).
3:30- 4:30: Building or creating.
4:30- 5:30 Discover your personal space on the farm.

Note: GO FARM! is an on-going program. We do not start over at the beginning of each week -- we build upon what we have accomplished the previous week. For example, If we learned about beans and how to plant them last week, we'll move on to work with other vegetables as the weeks progress through the summer. We encourage the girls to stay with us as long as possible.

Download Registration Form here

Download Waiver Form here

E-mail us at: genesisfarm@me.com.
Call us at: (919) 968-4759.