Four Springs Farm
Educational Opportunities
Four Springs Farm is the perfect eco system in which to experience nature and enjoy a quiet atmosphere filled with the peaceful sounds of life and activity all around. The farm is a passive educational adventure for young and old alike who are rarely out of doors or off pavement. Staying on the farm will provide special opportunities:
Photo by Will Cleland
Photo by Ed Pursell
Photo by Jinny Cleland
Photo by Will Cleland
Photo by Ed Pursell
• seeing pure clear water bubble out of the earth from one of the springs
• watching the days weather roll across the valley
• gazing at the Milky Way on a clear night
• sitting and finding constellations
• awaiting the sparkle of millions of fireflies on a July evening
• waking to the crowing of the farm rooster
• marveling at the brilliant color on a hillside in the fall
• discovering the mystery of carrots coming out of the ground
• following a hummingbird, a butterfly, a bee or an ant in its wondering
• learning what a pullet is and how to talk to the turkeys
• sitting still in the tall grass and wildflowers
Come make your own adventure in nature’s playground at her best.
The Sciences
+ Geology & watershed hydrology - Stream starting springs which source the central branch of the White River and have carved a scenic hillside
+ Plant and Animal studies - Greenhouse and field produced herbs, vegetables, and fruit share the land with wild plants on the 70 acres of fields and woodlot. Wildlife including mammals, birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles as well as the farm cats and poultry are all around.
+ Meteorology - Changing weather is easily observed because of the openness of the farm and long range western views.
+ Astronomy - Open skies without light pollution provide excellent night viewing.
The Arts
Visitors can enjoy fine arts such as drawing, watercolor painting and photography, taking advantage of the nooks and crannies provided by the fence rows, streams and panoramic views of the Green Mountain ridgeline. Writers will find the cabins provide a quiet comfortable refuge for creative thinking with very few distractions. The rich varied sounds of the wind, water and small creatures of the farm offer a symphony to be recorded by the ear or portable equipment.
Home School Families
The farm invites home school families to consider Four Springs Farm in Royalton, Vermont, their special place. The farm offers unique environmental and agricultural experiences on the farm for your home school family outing or can organize custom-designed environmental and agricultral educational programs for up to eight family groups. Whether you choose to vacation on the farm alone or as part of a larger gathering, there is much to be discovered in our organic gardens, fields, woods, and streams.
Farm owner, Jinny Hardy Cleland, home schooled her five children for many years and understands the qualities of home education that make the relationship of parents and children in these families special. The learning environment desired by most home schoolers can be found right here on the farm.
Home lives are very busy these days and are often connected to television, the Internet, and to the many comforts that we take for granted. Camping in a beautiful and peaceful place away from these things, enables people to appreciate the simple pleasures and challenges that nature presents.
