Named one of “7 BEST FARM CAMPS FOR KIDS” in the nation by Modern Farmer magazine

Each year, the Place Based Learning Center works with more than 500 students, parents and individuals from local schools and the surrounding community.

Since 1972 more than 24,000 children have spent a week or more living and working on the farm through our Visiting Students Program and summer camps.

Approximately 120 apprentices have trained as farmers at Hawthorne Valley, and nearly all remain in farming and food-related work.

Since 1972, more than 200 interns and 500 summer camp counselors have worked with children on the farm.

Annual Impact Report: Place Based Learning Center

Annual Impact Report: Place Based Learning Center

This article appears as part of Hawthorne Valley's 2024 Annual Impact Report: The Biodiversity Edition. We invite you to explore the full report and learn more about our work to renew soil, society, and self through the integration of education, agriculture, and the...

It is evident to me that today’s child craves and needs connection with the natural world more than ever….whether working in the garden or forest, tending to the farm’s animals, or transforming farm products into delicious and nutritious meals. In an age of increasing “virtual” experiences and interactions, people of all ages need to engage in real, purposeful work alongside others, using the hands and body, on a regular basis. It is through such experiences that real growth and transformation of the individual, and ultimately our communities, can take place.
Indigo OceanPBLC Program Manager