25 - Bloomsbury Farm School
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Christa Hein: Hey there. Welcome to the Farm Educators Roadmap. I'm Christa Hein, former nonprofit girl turned farm education entrepreneur. I've spent the last 30 years creating hands-on programs that connect people to the land animals, and the traditions that nourish our daily lives.
If you're listening, you probably believe what I do, that farm education is needed now more than ever. Not just on rural farms, but in suburbs, cities, and everywhere in-between. In this podcast, you'll hear real stories and practical advice from farm educators all across the country, people who are creating change through their programs in creative and inspiring ways.
Whether you're dreaming about starting your first program, are already knee deep in your own farm education work, or are just curious about how others are impacting their communities through farm education, you're in the right place. [00:01:00] Let's dig in.
Christa Hein: Hi there. Welcome back to the Farm Educators Roadmap. I'm your host, Christa Hein. Today we're heading to Tennessee to talk with the team behind Bloomsbury Farm School, a thriving farm-based program where kids learn right alongside the rhythms of the land.
Founder and farm owner, Laura Palmer and Director Shannon Wilhelm have built something special, a place where academics meet curiosity, and the natural world takes the lead. We'll dig into its founding, what keeps it working, and what they've learned along the way.
Lauren and Shannon, thanks so much for joining me.
Lauren Palmer: Thanks for having us.
Christa Hein: Absolutely. Lauren, let's start with your story. How did Bloomsbury Farm School begin and what sparked the idea to blend your organic farm with a school?
Lauren Palmer: Thanks for asking. It was the most business decision I ever made. So, I've been farming for about 16 [00:02:00] years, had a child and it just perfectly made sense for us to have those two together. But I went to an entrepreneur farm workshop. Long story short, I met a farmer from Maine who said that having a camp on her farm provided three avenues to have that customer back to her.
So, we started a farm school and I captured my, let's see, then 5-year-old’s Montessori teacher to help start an outdoor summer camp on the farm. Fast forward, we did that for a couple years, super successful, and then COVID happened, and then we took education outdoors. And it made perfect sense and so many other families wanted to join.
Christa Hein: Shannon, what about you? What drew you into this and what did you see in Lauren's vision that made you want to be a part of it?
Shannon Wilhelm: Sure, my background is in education, and I did traditional education for several years. And I did graduate school in special education and then stepped [00:03:00] away to start my own market garden organic farm, and did a nonprofit for six years. And so in that time, just was very familiar in the community with Lauren.
I was first introduced to her through a podcast and heard her speaking just about her story and her vision and her passion as far as agricultural growing methods and just her vision on community connectedness and what she was doing in the Nashville area. So I was really aware of her on a peripheral, professionally in the farming world.
And then as time kind of moved on, our farm also had some educational aspects of it and started to see what Lauren was doing and got connected through some friends, and I came for an interview to be a substitute teacher. And then things just kind of bloomed and blossomed from there. And here we are.
Christa Hein: Nice. So Lauren, you write that the land was calling out to be a classroom. What were the first concrete steps? Staffing, space, parent interest, what-have-you [00:04:00] that told you that this could scale, and what did those early days look like for the farm school?
Lauren Palmer: Yeah, so we started with one family with four kids in my house. This was, I guess the winter of 2020, I guess. And then we have an outdoor pavilion that we use for eventing and things. So, we moved to the pavilion when it made sense weather-wise to kind of be outdoors and yeah, it was just overwhelmingly like people were asking, how are you doing this?
And yeah, just super curious of like a, another way to educate. So, we were so lucky to have some structures on the farm already. So, we were doing watching the seasons change like in real time and documenting the birds migrating and, so yeah, in real time. So, I think it, it made perfect sense to be in our own habitat to learn from [00:05:00] that.
Christa Hein: So, I saw on the website that the school began with just one teacher and five students, and now supports seven teachers and over a hundred students weekly. Where are you now in regards to demand versus capacity, and what do you think helped the school grow so quickly?
Shannon Wilhelm: I think that, you know, as the program has developed, it's not doing anything unique in the sense of what we offer, when it comes to people looking for things outside the norm as far as just like nature programming goes. But I think what we began to see develop over time was that the nature aspect of it combined with the academics is really where there seemed to be a small hole in the market, as far as providing that and started to really kind of lean into that a little bit more.
So, versus it being really play-based and nature driven, which it's always been and will continue to [00:06:00] be, also lent itself to have a little bit more of an academic structure.
And so we do grade-level work in really small - so we're an eight to one student teacher ratio - and so our grade level learning is pretty unique in the sense that we're all in forest classrooms, following standards-based curriculum and best practice, but with the baseline and heart of our story still being the same that we are outdoor all the time. That our learning is all led by what we see around us, and we have really incredibly talented and heart-focused and unique educators that have the ability to continue to pivot and incorporate that in a way that's pretty challenging, as opposed to traditional education just being out there. But they're doing it in the elements and the season changes and the interest of our kids.
And I think that really has changed the trajectory of enrollment.
I think it's made for a unique space that we have places and programs for people to come just like [00:07:00] once a week if they have something else that they're doing that's more fitting for their family. And then we have other families that are here all week and it's just grown to a place that we have a wait list and are at capacity for the most part. Our re-enrollment last year was about 90%.
And so our programs right now, we're just really working on kind of creating a foundation that really works, that makes sense for us and our kids and our families, and creates community and a space where everybody feels like they're in attunement with what they're looking for their kids.
Christa Hein: Yeah. So I've seen it described as emergent and child-led. For someone who hasn't seen that in action, what does that really look like day to day?
Shannon Wilhelm: Sure. So I get asked that a lot. I had a parent ask, well, if my child doesn't feel led to write, are they never going to write? And I gently like to remind parents, you know, one of the beautiful things about having the place that, that we get to educate in is there's such a [00:08:00] natural learning element of being able to watch things accomplish in nature around them in a multitude of ways.
And so, I think sometimes as adults and being raised in certain ways and guided through societal pressures, we tend to think that there's one way to do something. And so I think having kids here and being able to see multiple ways in which they can accomplish something. And so that really comes down to that student-led interest.
So for instance, you know, the backbone of what we're doing is our teachers who know where we need to be for those growth points and benchmark standards and grade level growth have the ability to read our students on a heart level, and see that they have interests that shift and change, and that we can still get to the same end goal, right, but with a different way.
So instead of sticking with maybe the lesson plan that was using something along the lines [00:09:00] of it turning into fall seasons, but our kids suddenly saw the migration of birds happening, like the sandhill cranes are coming through. And so being able to pivot and change so that now we're cross-curricular educating on Sandhill cranes.
And so we're taking all of that subject matter and then that doesn't just become a science lesson, not science and math and reading and, and it becomes something that the students are passionate about and they're excited and they want to learn more. And then that spills over to being at home.
And then we get the beautiful gift to get to use that as a teaching method too.
Christa Hein: Awesome. So can you paint me a picture of what the farm looks like, what your space looks like, how your programs run? Just kind of paint us a broad picture of what Bloomsbury Farm School looks like.
Lauren Palmer: I'll go ahead and give you the visual. We're on 400 acres. We have a mile-long driveway back from [00:10:00] the road to like, what I consider like HQ, where some of our structures are. You're passing my house, you're passing the open air pavilion, a little workshop. Then you kind of get into like the belly of the farm where the tractors are and my washing warehouse.
So, you're getting to see some farm life and crops being grown along the way. The schoolhouse is kind of tucked in a little cove where there is a natural creek that runs behind it and. It's a beautiful little meadow right there. There's some picnic tables in the yard. The preschool is across the creek on the other side, and then my office is where we do some parent-and-me education right outside.
So, I get to watch and yeah, so it's super sweet. So many families, our critters, our chickens, our goats are all kind of nearby too. So, I mean, it's as dreamy as I'm making it sound like for sure
Christa Hein: And so [00:11:00] this started as your land. Is it still all your land, Lauren?
Lauren Palmer: It is. I get to live, work and play there. And that's been the most exciting thing is every year looks a little bit different, and we grow new things and have new folks come in to help us. It's kind of ever changing, and that's a part of our little slogan is that, ever giving, ever learning, ever loving.
And so it's yeah, it's definitely seeing some changes and it's, that's the most beautiful part.
Christa Hein: And it's still a working farm?
Lauren Palmer: Yes, I've been in business agriculture for about 16 years now, and we farm year round and make deliveries to town twice a week every week of the year.
Christa Hein: Nice. So running a school on a working farm sounds amazing, but it also sounds pretty complicated. What are some of the behind-the-scenes realities that people might not realize go into making this all work together?
Lauren Palmer: I'll go ahead and say delivery trucks and making sure that children and parents are out of the way. Tractors and moving around [00:12:00] of equipment is sometimes difficult, the mile-long driveway coming and goings. But yeah, so we've had to cancel school because the driveway has gotten icy and can't get trucks out.
The logistics of the coming and going I say are top for me. Shannon, what are your thoughts?
Shannon Wilhelm: Yeah, and I think we're in a season of learning and growing as far as trying to navigate that in a way that serves everyone to its best capacity.
But I think it's really easy to idealize being on a farm and having all of our aspects of education running at one time, where we're typically running three or four programs and I think we're just learning this last year on how to bridge that in a way that, that serves us all.
And I think we've made some really great moves. You know, it's so great to think, oh, we have so many kids and so many hands even to help. But then to realize that some of the help that our littles lend is not always as efficient as it could be. A great help to our farm as a whole because [00:13:00] they are running a full business.
And so being really mindful of that has been really great for our kids on an education standpoint to recognize that, to look at the various aspects of what it's like to be making a living. You know, farmer Lauren, just being able to share that aspect with us a lot too. And our manager, Danny, and for the kids to see that as a whole is pretty amazing.
And we also got given a really awesome gift from Lauren and her family to take over her dad's garden that's adjacent to the farm yard. And it has been incredible for the kids.
Christa Hein: So, Lauren, since this is your farm, I'm really curious why you chose the structure of a nonprofit, how you found the model sustainable financially and operationally. And if being a nonprofit was one of those key choices that made that possible.
Lauren Palmer: Yeah, so our event business in agriculture is under an LLC, and we [00:14:00] did a nonprofit for the school to open us up for opportunities for funding and scholarship opportunities, and, you know, another way to give back. So, we just saw other opportunities to help us grow using that model.
Christa Hein: I imagine that there's this constant balancing act between the structure of the farm, of the school, and then your freedom as well of being there living on the land. How do you keep the program organized, without losing that sense of spontaneity, of personal space as well?
Lauren Palmer: I've never felt like intruded upon or that I was sharing too much. I've just been a very like, yes farm, where I welcome people like all the time. So, we have a little farm stand. It feels really natural to have people out and enjoy [00:15:00] it like I do. So that to me was never a boundary that was crossed and I, I just can't get enough of, you know, inviting people out.
Christa Hein: What an amazing gift you've given to your community, to the families, the kids that are - it's changing lives. That's amazing. So I'm curious, for farm educators who dream of starting or creating a school like yours, what advice would you give them to start out? Like how, I imagine it was really a huge undertaking to even know where to begin, how would you tell them to start thinking about it?
Lauren Palmer: I was in a way selfishly serving myself having a child in grade school, so it was, we'll just figure it out as we go. That's kind of how I like grow vegetables and see the needs of the chefs is I'm just gonna try and see what happens. So I, I've just been, everyone has been [00:16:00] just super kind and helping along the way and things. It looks a lot different than we started five years ago.
So, just knowing that it's ever changing. Yeah, I would say it definitely can be done and there is a big need and it's not going away. So, I say cheers to alternative education.
Christa Hein: Absolutely. So, to have a farm-based program, you have to have staff, and it can be such a big piece for farm-based programs. How do you find educators who are equally comfortable outside, feel flexible with plans, and are in tune with your philosophy?
Shannon Wilhelm: It's a challenge. It really is. It's a very unique space. It's a unique opportunity. It's a unique and beautiful, but also equally hard career. I think that Lauren and I have had a lot of conversations around this because it's a lot like farming, from the outside. People [00:17:00] have a really incredibly lovely idealized view of it.
But the actual day-to-day mental and emotional load and toll it takes is pretty extensive. And it's all done for a greater cause in a wonderful way to connect community and to, you know, serve a passion and to be involved in something that you believe in. But it is hard, and we have found it challenging.
It is hard to find quality educators who are also okay teaching in the rain or, you know, below freezing weather. And it is unique. Even though we're small numbers, it is really challenging and it, it takes a very special person. And we're very heart-led, connected, focused. And so that's also a unique part too.
It's different than that traditional education portion of, we don't operate within that authoritarian mindset of education. And we live a very leveled, you know nature kind of brings us to a leveling point of respect, in equality with each [00:18:00] other. And so that's an interesting thing to navigate as well.
And it, it takes a really unique person. And as we've grown, that's become incredibly challenging every time we have to hire. So this summer, we actually had an incredible opportunity to hire two new teachers full time, based on our numbers and what we are doing, as far as growth. And we found two incredible educators.
But it, it's challenging. Yeah.
Christa Hein: So are all of your educators full-time or are some of them part-time as well?
Shannon Wilhelm: No, all of our educators, so we have a total of six full-time educators and then we have one part-time who runs our, we have an infant-to-three-year-old guardian-and-me class. And so, she does that part-time.
Christa Hein: Nice. And then I saw you also do summer farm camps. Is that the same staff or a different staff?
Shannon Wilhelm: It depends. We give them the option and opportunity. We're always looking for ways to fulfill any of the needs we have of [00:19:00] our full-time staff. And teaching can be a huge sacrifice in a lot of ways. But Lauren has built an incredible program to give a really beautiful living wage. And I think that 12-month employee status is something that a lot of people desire.
And so we give that opportunity. Because we do technically run full-time all year with summer camp and some of our teachers really thrive in that and have taken it on and, and it's become a really wonderful part of their year, I think, to get to relax a little bit and have a little bit more of an experience here as a teacher, but in a different way.
And so, summer kind of brings them alive and gives them that break. And then we have other teachers who just need an actual break and step away from the summer. So we have typically about half who stay for the summer and then half who take a break and come back. And then we open up the opportunity for summer camp for other educators in the area.
We have some teachers from traditional school who have come several years in a row now to teach for their summer just 'cause they love the change of getting to be outside [00:20:00] versus being in their classroom in public school. And an opportunity for younger educators coming out, you know, of the system to kind of experience and see if it's something they like to do. So yeah, it's a lot of fun.
Christa Hein: Awesome. And I'm also curious about the demographics of your campers and your students. Are you finding that they start off in your youngest program and then go all the way up? Are they there just for school but take summers off? How do your family students typically interact with the farm?
Shannon Wilhelm: I think this kind of also goes back to that original question about, you know, Lauren starting and structuring and one of the things that Lauren is incredibly gifted at is connection and community. And so when this program originally started, because it started with that network of community and friendship, that's kind of been an integral part of it moving forward.
And Lauren has continued to, you know, even when she says about sharing space here on the farm and where she lives, I think part of why that doesn't [00:21:00] feel intrusive is because of her natural propensity for that being just a place for her community to connect. So as that has built, we have kids who have been here since they were itty bitty who have come all the way through.
You know, Lauren's daughter was the first of our graduating out of fifth grade last year. And she has come all the way through. So, we're just now getting to that cycle of kids. Some who have been here since the beginning. Again, our retention rate is really high and we are just now getting into - so preschool was our first year, last year.
So we're running our full second year this year. And so our onsite programming does go from ages one to 12. And so we do have some kids who come all the way through. We have some who come, you know, just for the early education time and then have plans to be somewhere else. And then we also have some who kind of have tried traditional education. It didn't quite work for them, and so they come, you know, into our program for some different needs [00:22:00] at different times.
So it's kind of a mix. But we do have a pretty good core group that's been here for a long time, and that's been really beautiful to witness and watch and see.
Christa Hein: Nice. And I saw on your website you're listing lots of different types of educational philosophies that you work within - Montessori, Waldorf. How do those look? And what inspired you by some of those and blending them all together?
Shannon Wilhelm: Yeah, so a lot of them are listed on there as ways of philosophy that I think the core of so much of what all of them have in common is that child-led, focused part. You know, that we're approaching children as unique individuals to celebrate them for who they are and how they show up exactly as they are.
And then our role as adults and educators is to meet them there and then find ways to guide them and lead them into educational experiences. We don't necessarily claim one full one because of our [00:23:00] certifications. We're not looking for any of our teachers to have specific certifications in one of those programs.
And we do take philosophies from each one of them in the sense of, you know, we do a lot of project-based learning. We do a lot of hands-on experience, we do a lot of play-based education. We do a lot of risky play. We do, you know, a lot of things that hit on a lot of those. But the core of it all being, you know, that we are in these programs as children that are a part of how they approach the world - is where we see them as, not adults looking at children, but that we view them with respect and honor of how they're experiencing the world and how they lead us into education and our own learning and modeling.
And so, we take little pieces from all of them. And that being said, we also have a multitude of experience within our educational staff. So, we have some who are Montessori trained. We have some who have had some experience in traditional education, [00:24:00] others who have had experience in Waldorf.
Lauren herself, I think did a majority of education Montessori. And so, and all of us as teachers and educators too, all come from a huge range of education experiences for ourselves. And so it's a lot of all of that just kind of coming in and intermingling and giving a space in place that lends itself to a huge range of diversity in how we approach education.
Christa Hein: Nice. So, I see on the website you talk about it being a homeschool program. Does that classification, or just that wording, give you a lot more freedom in how you're allowed to structure your programs?
Shannon Wilhelm: Yeah, so we aren't a certified school and that's for several reasons. One, just kind of the basis of our flexibility in being able to provide multiple educational avenues. The homeschool tutorial route just seemed to fit the program best. Also because we are really [00:25:00] pro learning outside of here as well, and having those experiences with your family and also being really honest and humble about we're not hitting everything all the time.
And so we might be able to offer some things that are unique and do service a need, but we have families and students that also have other needs that we don't service. And so being really upfront about that and really honoring the investment of being here and being really honest about what we can service and not, and I think it gives fearless the opportunity to do other things.
So, we have a plethora of - some kids are here four days, some are here three days, some are here one day. And so our enrichment days give the opportunity for kids who want the Bloomsbury Nature Farm experience to have it in combination with their own programming that they're doing, either with a separate co-op or an actual at-home curriculum, but gives them an experience to have socialization and be here out in nature and to have kind of peer-integrated [00:26:00] experiences and still be a part of our Bloomsbury family.
And then we have our kids who come into grade level academic learning in their specific grades. And then we service that the preschool through fifth grade where they have their specific teachers in their classrooms. And those are all hitting our actual standards and benchmarks. And then, we also have - our preschool gives an opportunity as well for a one-day enrichment for, you know, just those kiddos who are just starting out to branch outside of the home.
And then we also do a three-day program. So, the homeschool portion of it gives a lot more freedom to our families. It helps us partnership really well with helping them navigate homeschool at home. And they kind of have an, have an opportunity to make this program or other programs kind of work and service the needs that they have.
Christa Hein: Awesome. I want to ask you both to answer this question. So what have been the challenges or surprise blessings that you've encountered?
Lauren Palmer: It's the coolest thing to [00:27:00] watch. You know, they're eating from the land, they're educating with us and instant friends and it, so I just, I couldn't imagine a connection more than this. It just feels honored to be a part of, you know, this ride with these families who are trusting us.
So, I’m so thankful that people are trusting us and eating and educating and being a part of their life in that kind of way. So, just again, like honored for that.
Shannon Wilhelm: I'll start with the challenges and then hit the blessings part. I think the challenges are ones that naturally would unfold, I think, in any situation when you're working with the natural world. I mean, first and foremost, we have challenges of weather. It's something that we have to educate a lot on families and kids and staff on, appropriate gear.
And we're out here as far as safety concerns with weather. Even if it's raining, if we're not storming and it doesn't have an inclement weather portion to it, we're still out here [00:28:00] learning and that looks different. It's not the traditional mindset of we come in to take a break for weather.
We're out here and we're experiencing it, and we're learning from it, and we're building resiliency and how to work through being uncomfortable and all of those things, and honoring, understanding ourselves and our bodies and the people around us and respecting the spaces that we're in.
And so that can be a real challenge, especially for kiddos. This is new too. It takes some time. And for staff, you know, we do definitely have some, a learning curve of that being uncomfortable and bugs and heat and all of that come with that.
And I think just also the business of finances are always going to be a challenge and that just is the reality of anybody running any business. But I think especially a nonprofit, there are some unique challenges in just where and how we want to grow. How to do that with also honoring the investment our families are making, as well as [00:29:00] making sure that our staff are here and being able to be fully present in their brains and bodies and not worrying about paying bills and, and growing in a way that is sustainable and makes sense. And so there's a lot there. You, you know, those bring its own unique challenges.
And also because we're a homeschool tutorial, it can add some extra challenges with the fluidity of enrollment because families do kind of come and go throughout the year based on all sorts of things. You know, we have families who move and things like that.
And then our blessings are a thousand fold. But I think, experiencing wonder and awe on a daily basis. I think watching kids grow in a multitude of ways, and I think having adults model how to be curious and play and have passion about things that are just a part of their everyday life, and to be present fully with kids.
Christa Hein: Ah, beautiful. You've both created such a powerful example of what's possible when you trust kids, [00:30:00] trust the land and let learning unfold naturally.
For people who want to learn more about Bloomsbury Farm School, where will they find you online?
Lauren Palmer: Yeah, so we are Bloomsbury Farms, with an s, .com, on social media, Facebook, Instagram. And then you can ring us in the office.
Christa Hein: Awesome. Thank you both so much for sharing your story and wisdom today.
Lauren Palmer: Thank you.
Shannon Wilhelm: Thank you.
Christa Hein: Absolutely. And to our listeners, I hope this conversation left you inspired to think bigger about what farm education can look like, whether you're teaching in a garden, running a homeschool program, or just starting to dream. Remember the land itself is your best classroom.
If this episode inspired you, please follow the show, leave a quick review and share it with someone else dreaming of farm education. Until next time, keep planting the seeds of knowledge and growing the future of farm education.
Christa Hein: Hey farm educators. I hope you enjoyed today's episode. Before you go, I've got something special for you. [00:31:00] If you're ready to build a farm education program that people are excited to book, grab my free guide, Five Simple Steps to Growing an In-Demand Farm Education Program. It's packed with the same steps I used to grow my own farm education business.
It'll help you get noticed, attract clients, and make an impact. Just head over to www.farmeducatorsroadmap.com/fivesimplesteps to get your free copy. It's quick, easy, and will make your programs irresistible. I can't wait to see what you create. Thanks for listening, and I'll catch you in the next episode.
