Welcome to Beacon Hill Farm Learning Co-operative!
Beacon Hill Farm Learning Cooperative is a unique enrichment center where homeschooled youth ages 8-16 learn together through hands-on experiences, guided by specialist teachers in a working farm environment. Our self-directed approach encourages students to explore their interests and connect deeply with nature and life skills, while parents participate actively in the learning journey, creating a vibrant community of growth and discovery.
Farm School Fridays: Session 1
Save the Date: Registration Opening Soon!
September 5, 12, 19, 26
Farm School Fridays
Real Farm Work. Real Learning. Real Fun.
Ages 8-13 | Fridays | Small Groups of 8 Students/Teacher Maximum
Get Your Hands Dirty While Your Mind Grows
Forget classroom walls – at Farm School Fridays, education happens in the fresh air with dirt under your fingernails and animals as your teachers. Your child will tie on their boots and dive into authentic farm work alongside our family & TEACHERS, gaining invaluable life skills while caring for our sheep, donkeys, chickens, and turkeys.
This isn't just a farm visit – it's real agricultural education where students take on genuine responsibilities and see the direct impact of their work.
This Autumn: Discover the Wisdom of Permaculture
Our fall sessions focus on the 12 Principles of Permaculture, exploring one principle each week through hands-on activities and real farm applications. Students will learn sustainable farming practices that work with nature, not against it – lessons they'll carry far beyond our farm gates.
What makes this special? Each class builds upon the previous week's learning, creating a comprehensive understanding of sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship.
What Your Child Will Experience
Animal Husbandry & Care
Daily feeding and watering routines
Learning animal behavior and needs
Hands-on veterinary/Farrier care basics
Understanding the responsibility of animal stewardship
Permaculture in Action
Observing and interacting with natural systems
Catching and storing energy on the farm
Designing sustainable solutions
Using renewable resources
Valuing diversity in ecosystems
Real Farm Skills
Tool safety and proper usage
Seasonal farm maintenance
Problem-solving in agricultural settings
Working as part of a farm team
Program Details
Ages: 8-13 years old
When: Fridays from 9am-1pm
Class Size: Maximum 16 students
Duration: 3-session seriES with each Session being 4 weeks
We encourage enrollment in all three sessions. The progressive nature of our curriculum means students gain the most benefit when they can build knowledge week by week.
We provide all tools, equipment, and farm-specific safety gear.
Autumn Season Kick Off & Fundraiser
Save the Date!
Join us for our Autumn Season Kick Off and fundraiser Event on Saturday, September 6, 2025 for an afternoon on the farm!
SIgnal Fires, INC is the non-profit education organization that sponsors personal development classes and educational opportunities for children At beacon hill Farm. We are holding this Autumn Season Kick Off to raise money for scholarships for students needing support with tuition to our classes.
Participants will have an opportunity to meet our farm animals, learn about pastured meats and regenerative agriculture, and enjoy some delicious snacks.
We will also have special guests share their expertise with us:
1:00-3:00pm the Cornell Raptor Program Will bring lead a presentation and Meet & Greet with large birds of Prey. This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about raptors & owls
Check back later for more updates!
Suggested donation to the Kick-Off party is $20/family. If you’re interested in Donating a specific amount to sponsor a student, please reach out to Tess Directly!
Farm School Fridays: Session 2
Save the Date: Registration Opening Soon!
October 3, 10, 17, 24
Farm School Fridays
Real Farm Work. Real Learning. Real Fun.
Ages 8-13 | Fridays | Small Groups of 8 Students/Teacher Maximum
Get Your Hands Dirty While Your Mind Grows
Forget classroom walls – at Farm School Fridays, education happens in the fresh air with dirt under your fingernails and animals as your teachers. Your child will tie on their boots and dive into authentic farm work alongside our family & TEACHERS, gaining invaluable life skills while caring for our sheep, donkeys, chickens, and turkeys.
This isn't just a farm visit – it's real agricultural education where students take on genuine responsibilities and see the direct impact of their work.
This Autumn: Discover the Wisdom of Permaculture
Our fall sessions focus on the 12 Principles of Permaculture, exploring one principle each week through hands-on activities and real farm applications. Students will learn sustainable farming practices that work with nature, not against it – lessons they'll carry far beyond our farm gates.
What makes this special? Each class builds upon the previous week's learning, creating a comprehensive understanding of sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship.
What Your Child Will Experience
Animal Husbandry & Care
Daily feeding and watering routines
Learning animal behavior and needs
Hands-on veterinary/Farrier care basics
Understanding the responsibility of animal stewardship
Permaculture in Action
Observing and interacting with natural systems
Catching and storing energy on the farm
Designing sustainable solutions
Using renewable resources
Valuing diversity in ecosystems
Real Farm Skills
Tool safety and proper usage
Seasonal farm maintenance
Problem-solving in agricultural settings
Working as part of a farm team
Program Details
Ages: 8-13 years old
When: Fridays from 9am-1pm
Class Size: Maximum 16 students
Duration: 3-session seriES with each Session being 4 weeks
We encourage enrollment in all three sessions. The progressive nature of our curriculum means students gain the most benefit when they can build knowledge week by week.
We provide all tools, equipment, and farm-specific safety gear.
Farm School Fridays: Session 3
Save the Date: Registration Opening Soon!
October 31, November 7, 14, 21
Farm School Fridays
Real Farm Work. Real Learning. Real Fun.
Ages 8-13 | Fridays | Small Groups of 8 Students/Teacher Maximum
Get Your Hands Dirty While Your Mind Grows
Forget classroom walls – at Farm School Fridays, education happens in the fresh air with dirt under your fingernails and animals as your teachers. Your child will tie on their boots and dive into authentic farm work alongside our family & TEACHERS, gaining invaluable life skills while caring for our sheep, donkeys, chickens, and turkeys.
This isn't just a farm visit – it's real agricultural education where students take on genuine responsibilities and see the direct impact of their work.
This Autumn: Discover the Wisdom of Permaculture
Our fall sessions focus on the 12 Principles of Permaculture, exploring one principle each week through hands-on activities and real farm applications. Students will learn sustainable farming practices that work with nature, not against it – lessons they'll carry far beyond our farm gates.
What makes this special? Each class builds upon the previous week's learning, creating a comprehensive understanding of sustainable agriculture and environmental stewardship.
What Your Child Will Experience
Animal Husbandry & Care
Daily feeding and watering routines
Learning animal behavior and needs
Hands-on veterinary/Farrier care basics
Understanding the responsibility of animal stewardship
Permaculture in Action
Observing and interacting with natural systems
Catching and storing energy on the farm
Designing sustainable solutions
Using renewable resources
Valuing diversity in ecosystems
Real Farm Skills
Tool safety and proper usage
Seasonal farm maintenance
Problem-solving in agricultural settings
Working as part of a farm team
Program Details
Ages: 8-13 years old
When: Fridays from 9am-1pm
Class Size: Maximum 16 students
Duration: 3-session seriES with each Session being 4 weeks
We encourage enrollment in all three sessions. The progressive nature of our curriculum means students gain the most benefit when they can build knowledge week by week.
We provide all tools, equipment, and farm-specific safety gear.
Meet the Chicks
SATURDAY, May 10 2:00-4:00pm
Here at Beacon Hill Farm, we raise chickens for eggs & meat. Come meet the chicks and learn about different breeds, chicken lifecycle & how we raise chickens in the pasture. This is a family friendly event and we welcome folks of all ages & stages of life. This is a great opportunity to visit the farm and see the many projects that are underway. OPEN TO FAMILIES
Free!
Horsemanship
Wednesday, May 7. 2-4pm
Horsemanship is much more involved than sitting in a saddle. This class focuses on the groundwork. Learn an assortment of skills like how to read horse body language, anatomy, how to groom, tack up, lunge, and care for a pony. This class is taught by Reina Baizman, owner and trainer at Little Creek Farm in Fulton, NY. She'll bring her delightful Haflinger pony, Poe, to Beacon Hill Farm for a fully hands-on class geared towards those with little or no horse experience. Your student will gain confidence as they pick out Poe's feet and lead him around the barn. Ages 6-16
Cost: $35/person
Speak Up, Play On: Building Public Speaking Confidence Through Games
Wednesday, April 30
1:00-3:oopm
Help your kids turn speaking jitters into their superpower through fun games that build real confidence. Our workshop ditches boring scripts and stuffy rules, instead teaching kids to trust themselves, take good pauses, and find their own words naturally using games developed by Ultraspeaking (a fun public speaking company). Your children will leave knowing that great speaking isn't about memorizing perfect lines, but about showing up as themselves and enjoying the conversation.Ages: 8-16
Cost: $10
Wet Felting Goat Milk Soap
Wednesday, April 23
1:00-3:oopm
Learn about some properties of wool, try out hand carding brushing, and experiment with wet felting by making a colorful felted bar of goat milk soap from St. Fiacres Farm in Ira, NY. We encourage parents to sign up as well! Ages: 8-16
Cost: $15 includes materials
Cancelled: Plastic Free Seed Starting
Cancelled: Wednesday, April 16
1:00-3:oopm
Join Farmer Tess to use seed blocking techniques to start seeds for the garden without using seed trays or plastic. Learn how we use leftover wool from shearing sheep as the perfect fertilizer for our plants, why we stay away from “hot manure” for planting, and how you can start your own compost pile at home. We will use wool fertilizer pellets from Otter Lake Farm & Fiber that provide a N-P-K ratio of 9-0-2. We'll talk about what a N-P-K ratio is, what different nutrients are important for when it comes to plant growth, and test some of our soil. Students will take home newly planted seeds to care for until they are ready for the garden.Ages: 8-16
Cost: $10 includes material
Basic Carpentry for Kids (FULL)
Wednesday, April 9 (FULL)
1:00-3:oopm
Help Farmer Derek construct a mud kitchen for the Imagination Space at Beacon Hill Farm. Students will be learning about basic hand tools (saws, phillips vs. regular screwdriver, measuring tape, speed square) through using them. Power drills and screwdrivers will be used with careful supervision. The mud kitchen will then be used in the Imagination Space for younger siblings to play at while older siblings are in classes. Please wear closed toe shoes and bring work gloves if you have them. Ages: 8-16
Cost: $5
Pinch Pot Pottery
Wednesday, April 2 1:00-3:oopm
Use air drying clay to your own pinch pot to take home at the end of the day. Once the pots are dry, students can paint them with acrylic paint or leave plain for a beautiful, natural look. Pinch pots are a great introduction to working with clay. We encourage parents to sign up as well! Although called simply "Pinch Pots" this class will teach much more than the ancient art of pottery. We aim to teach kids about different types of soil (clay, sand, silt) through doing a soil test analysis from soil they harvest on the farm. We will dig the soil, evaluate the different particle sizes that settle in a test jar, and determine percentages based off the data we collect (real life fractions & percentages!). After we spend a bit of time with the experiment, we will create our pinch pots from air dry clay that students can take home.Ages: 8-16Cost: $15 inCLUDES MATERIALS
Indoor Archery (FULL)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26 from 12:30-3:30pm (FULL)
Join Dan Edmonds from Rangers Ridge as he teaches Traditional Archery basics with a recurve bow and gives an opportunity to practice in our indoor space. Classes are small (5 kids) for individualized attention. Each group will practice for 1 hour. 12:30 pm Session1:30pm Session2:30pm SessionAge Restrictions: 8-16 years oldcost: $20/personWAITList - We are currently full for the Archery Classes on Both dates. please place your name on the waitlist and we will reach out if space opens
Indoor Archery (SOLD OUT)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26 from 12:30-3:30pm
Join Dan Edmonds from Rangers Ridge as he teaches Traditional Archery basics with a recurve bow and gives an opportunity to practice in our indoor space. Classes are small (5 kids) for individualized attention. Each group will practice for 1 hour. 12:30 pm Session1:30pm Session2:30pm SessionAge Restrictions: 8-16 years oldcost: $20/personWAITList - We are currently full for the Archery Classes on Both dates. please place your name on the waitlist and we will reach out if space opens
Become A Volunteer
We welcome anyone who feels moved to help in this mission of sustainability to share their experience with our farm. Are you a teacher, artisan, carpenter, farmer or community member who would like to share your skills or teach a class? Please fill out this form!Are you interested in teaching a group of self-directed learners in a hand-on, experiential class? Do you have a suggestion of a type of class that your homeschooler would like to take? Do you have a recommendation for an engaging, enthusiastic and all around amazing teacher? Please let us know!What is the Cancellation Policy?
Classes are canceled when enrollment minimums are not reached. Cancellations are determined no later than 2 business days before the class starts. If BEACON HILL LEARNING COOPERATIVE cancels a class or workshop, the student will have the option to transfer to another class, as long as space is available, or receive a 100% refund.
What is the Refund Policy?
If a student chooses to withdraw from a class or Workshop, the refund policies are as follows:
Classes & Workshops:
100% refund withIn 24 hours of registration, as long as it is not within Seven Days Prior to the start date of the class.
100% RefuND If we are able to fill your spot in the Class, even if it is within seven days prior to the start of the class.
No refunds Will be made otherwise. Our Instructors are independent teachers and we plan on filling classes.