Community Spotlight: Red Gate Farm
Oct 13, 2021
We are thrilled to introduce our new Community Spotlight series! We created the series as an avenue for deserving nonprofits to share their mission with a larger audience. We’re proud to showcase local organizations that TMG staff members work with and support.
To kick off the series, we interviewed Red Gate Farm, located in Ashfield, MA. Red Gate Farm is a special place where children can learn and grow. Each young person who visits the farm has the opportunity to nurture the land, care for animals, enjoy meaningful experiences, and build for the future.
Our President, Ben Markens, recently sat down with Red Gate Farm Director, Ben Murray, to discuss how their program empowers farmers and educators to work side-by-side with local children from all backgrounds, ultimately inspiring curiosity, strength, courtesy, satisfaction, and connection.
Between their Families on the Farm program that provides a fun and safe atmosphere to volunteer by caring for the land and their animals, to their Homeschoolers program that provides homeschooled children an opportunity to work side-by-side with farmers, to their Scouts on the Farm program that offers merit badge work, land navigation experience, and service projects to Scout groups looking for farm adventure and learning, Red Gate Farm has a comprehensive set of programs that give both children and families a chance to get outside and make a difference.
Red Gate also provides powerful experiences for visiting school groups – giving children of all ages a chance to become dynamically engaged with farm work, ultimately providing students with tactics to achieve mindfulness and reflection. Red Gate makes certain that every child has an opportunity to stay at the farm and works closely with schools to ensure they sign up for the right program that fits their budget and needs of their students. The Farm also has scholarship programs in place that are awarded on an as-need basis to students.
It’s clear that Red Gate Farm is a special place that fosters learning, engagement, and connection with farm animals and nature. Learn more about their volunteer opportunities, school group experiences, and dynamic programming by visiting their website: www.redgatefarm.org. For specific inquiries, reach out to Farm Director, Ben Murray here.