fieldtrips
Food Education Field Trips
for Schools & Youth Groups
Pie Ranch offers sliding scale, fee-for-service programs for K-12 schools. We seek to help students make cross-curricular connections that attempt to advance a comprehensive understanding of how the food we eat has economic, social, environmental and political implications—on the micro and macro level. All our youth programs take place at the main Pie Ranch location at 2080 Green Oaks Way, Pescadero.
Pie Ranch has been partnering with public schools since 2005 when we began working with the youth at Mission High School in San Francisco. In our first year we served 50 students; now we reach more than 500-1000 young people each year.
We offer one-time visits to the ranch for school-age children and youth to experience a working farm; to glean a basic understanding of where their food comes from and most importantly to build a connection to nature. All one-time visitors receive an introduction to the concept of food justice. Repeat and overnight visits are encouraged so that youth can witness the changing of the seasons on the farm, participate in farm chores or a pie bake to gain a deeper appreciation for what it takes to produce food from the soil and in the kitchen, and to build trust and respect for our food, the land and the relationships that nourish us all.
Please inquire using the form below if you’d like to schedule a field trip. We book 6 months in advance for non-partner schools.
Field Trip Inquiry Form
FIELD TRIP PROGRAM MENU
All income received from farm visits supports our operational costs that allows us to continue offering learning opportunities on our farm and also provides coverage for schools that express need of financial assistance. Thank you for your support! Please see below for more detailed information.
OPTION #1
INTRODUCTION TO A WORKING FARM
Groups of 15 to 30, 90 minutes
10am–12:30pm
All Ages
Enjoy a two-hour walking tour of our farm with one of our staff. Tour includes a milling demonstration in our historic Roadside Barn and discussion of our small-farm operation. Guests are invited to bring their own lunch to picnic in our meadow following their tour. *Tour can be truncated to 1.5 hours (without milling demo).
10:00am: Arrival and Welcome
10:00am–10:30am: Overview of Pie Ranch, ice breaker, safety review
10:30am–12:30pm: Milling Demo followed by walking tour of farm
12:30pm: Enjoy our meadow for your own picnic lunch (optional)
OPTION #2
CONNECTING WITH THE SOIL
Groups of 15 to 30, 3.5 hours
9:30am–1:00pm
School Groups 5th Grade and above
Enjoy a facilitated tour of the farm, engage in a farm activity that relates to the current season and crops that we are growing on the farm. Tour includes a milling demonstration in our historic Roadside Barn and discussion of our small-farm operation. Guests are invited to bring their own lunch to picnic in our meadow at the end of the experience.
9:30am: Arrival and Welcome
9:30am–10:00am: Overview of Pie Ranch, ice breaker, safety review
10:00am–11:30am: Walking Tour of Farm & milling demo
11:30am–1:00pm: Farm project with farm team (see seasonal farm activities below)
1:00pm: Enjoy our meadow for your own picnic lunch (optional)
OPTION #3
MAIZE TO MILL TO MUFFINS
Groups up to 30
3.5 hours: 9:30am–1:30pm
1st Grade and above
Start the day at our village-sized grain mill and grind corn or wheat that was grown here in the fields at Pie Ranch. Carry the fresh-milled flour to the outdoor kitchen, stopping along the way to visit the Native Garden and goat pasture. In the kitchen, we’ll do a simple baking activity with the corn or wheat flour and serve our yummy confection as a supplement to your picnic lunches from home.
9:30am: Arrival and Welcome
9:30am–10:00am: Overview of Pie Ranch, introductions, bathrooms
10:00am–10:30am: Visit the mill at the farmstand and mill farm-grown grain
10:30-11:15am: Abbreviated farm tour through the Native Garden and lower goat pasture
11:15-12:15 Bake with the fresh-milled flour in the outdoor kitchen
12:15pm: Picnic lunch in the meadow
12:30pm Baked goods are served as an after-lunch treat
OPTION #4
FOOD JUSTICE FROM FIELD TO TABLE
Groups up to 20 or less,3.5 hours (can accommodate larger groups with an extra rotation)
9:30am–1:30pm
School groups 5th Grade and above
Food justice seeks to ensure that the benefits and risks of where, what, and how food is grown, produced, transported, distributed, processed and eaten are shared fairly and equitably. Participants will enjoy a day of farming, cooking and conversations around how justice manifests in our food systems. Participants will break into 2 groups. One group will join our farm educator for a tour or farm activity around Pie Ranch while the other group prepares lunch in the outdoor kitchen with the chef educator, then the two groups switch.
9:30am: Arrival and Welcome
9:30am–10:00am: Overview of Pie Ranch, ice breaker, safety review, Group splits into 2 groups
10:00am–11:15am: Group 1: farm tour or activity, Group 2: culinary lesson with chef educator
11:15am - 12:30pm: Group 2: farm tour or activity, Group 1: culinary lesson with chef educator
12:30pm: Enjoy a lunch buffet prepared by and for your group!
1:30pm: Survey & departure
OPTION #5
THE WHOLE PIE
Groups up to 30, 3.5 hours
9:30–1:30pm
School Groups 5th Grade and above
Upon arrival, the group will be divided into three teams: farm, culinary, and pie baking. The farm team will work alongside our farmers and educators on a seasonal farm project, the culinary team will work with our chef educator to prepare lunch for the visiting class, the pie team will create and bake pies from scratch. The groups will reunite to enjoy the lunch buffet and pies made fresh that day to conclude the visit.
9:30am: Arrival and Welcome
9:30am–10:00am: Overview of Pie Ranch, ice breaker, safety review
10:00am–12:30pm: Farm, Culinary, Pie teams break out
12:30pm–1:15pm: Lunch
1:15-1:30pm: Enjoy pie together
OPTION #6
LIFE ON A FARM: OVERNIGHT EXPERIENCE
[Available to School Groups ONLY]
Groups up to 30 ::: 1.5 days
Please inquire with us about bringing students to the farm for an overnight trip.
*Notes About Booking Details
High School Group chaperone to student ratio: 1 per 10 students. 5th Grade and below: 1 per 7 students. Fees for teacher and chaperone are waived based on recommended ratio, additional chaperones will be charged at cost per student.
A 25% deposit is required for booking purposes and is due 7 business days after an e-mail confirmation. Full payment for visits is due 30 days after the issue of an invoice. In the case of unfavorable weather, we will provide you with an option to reschedule.
Cancellations must be made 7 days in advance for all programs that include a culinary lesson or catered meal. All other programs require 48 hour notice for cancellation.
All visitors (teachers, students, chaperones) must submit a valid waiver in order to participate in Pie Ranch programming.
Interested in what kinds of activities you might find on the farm during the different seasons? Read below to get an idea of the work we do in the fields throughout the year.
WINTER
Farm: Soil tests; sowing wheat; pruning cane berries and apple trees; greenhouse work; paint signs for farm stand & tours/workdays; pest control; goat care; weeding; orchard care; citrus harvesting; corn & bean processing; grain milling; herb harvesting; salve making
Kitchen: Culinary experiences with winter squash, bread baking, heirloom beans, hearty stews, lemons & limes, pea & bean greens, wild greens, polenta, fresh tortillas
Pies: Lemon Buttermilk, Persian lime, Walnut, Blackberry, Pumpkin, Apple, Pear, Savory pies
SPRING
Farm: Prep ground for planting; set-up irrigation; sowing in greenhouse; direct sowing & transplanting; harvest & post-harvest handling; weed cultivation; goat care; pest control; soil amending; trellising; aged manure turning
Kitchen: Spring salads, citrus desserts, frittata, heirloom beans, baking with Pie Ranch wheat, fresh milled grains; polenta, pea & bean greens; strawberry desserts
Pies: Lemon Buttermilk, Strawberry Rhubarb, Persian Lime, Quiche, Savory pies
SUMMER
Farm: Weeding; summer tree pruning; crop harvest; goat milking; berry harvest; pest control; flower harvest; post-harvest handling, goat milking, everything!
Kitchen: Corn tortillas, bruschetta, strawberry crepes, pesto, goat cheese, salads, veggie pizza, vegetable abundance.
Pies: Strawberry Rhubarb, Peach, Lemon buttermilk, Pear, Savory pies
FALL
Farm: Corn, bean & squash harvest, tomato harvest, plant strawberries & garlic, pest control, preparing ground for winter cover crops, weeding, mulching fruit trees, pulling out summer crops, winnowing beans and processing them for drying, goat milking.
Kitchen: Mashed & roasted potatoes, roasted butternut squash soup, fresh baked bread, tomato sauce, corn on the cob, polenta, fall fruit & veggie abundance.
Pies: Apple, Pumpkin, Pear, Strawberries, Blackberries.