A farm immersion experience is a hands-on, educational, and often peaceful way to connect with the rhythms of farm life. Here is a sample of the activities and how it unfolds:
Arrival & Introduction
You arrive at Sweet Mountain Farm and are greeted by Sue. After a quick introduction, you can scope out your accommodations and unload your gear. Then, it is tour time, showing you the farm layout, the apiary, processing building, and tools used. You get a sense of the space you’ll be working in, the daily tasks, and what to expect during your time here. This is when we design daily activities based on your individual interests. Remember there is a vast amount of learning with 12 work hours to schedule.
Daily Activities (Mix and Match your farm interests by activity)
- Apiary Care: your workday is 8:00 a.m.-Noon (4 hours). Typically, the first part of the day is spent in the bee yard tending Russian honey bees. You could be feeding bees, collecting bee venom or propolis, installing a hive data monitor, conducting an inspection, splitting and transporting a colony, or counting varroa mites. These tasks allow you to get close to the bees and build confidence in identifying and understanding honey bee needs. If Apiary Care is not your thing try Crop Management.
- Crop Management: You’ll more than likely spend your day working in the greenhouse, tending a pollinator bed or identifying and eradicating invasive species. This could involve seeding, planting, weeding, or watering. Depending on the season, you might be digging a furrow, installing shade cloth or a drip irrigation system.
- Farm Maintenance: Farms require constant upkeep, so you could help with maintaining hive bodies, waxing frames, mowing and weed whacking, painting, or preparing equipment for upcoming work. There is a recycling project; cutting up and scraping 2,000 lbs. of 1.9”OD galvanized pipe.
Learning & Skill-building
Throughout the day, you’re not just working; you’re learning. Sue will teach you how to effectively manage honey bee colonies, what to look for during an inspection as well as how to identify pests and prevention methods. It’s a great time for hands-on learning in areas like:
- Sustainable Practices: You’ll learn about less invasive Varroa prevention, crop selection for bee health, and using all products from the hive. You will learn about breeding, feeding, and caring for Russian honey bees, especially sustainable farming practices.
- Processing: You could learn how to harvest and clean beeswax for candles, lip balm, or soap. Learn how to extract honey from frames, bottle, package and label the end product. Visit the workshop where the SMF cedar beehive is built.
End of the Day Reflection
After working, you spend some time reflecting and asking questions about your daily experience. This could involve a relaxing walk around the farm or perhaps relaxing and talking around the fire pit.
Connection with Nature
Overall, a farm immersion experience is deeply connected to the natural world. You’ll be unplugging from modern life, getting your hands dirty, and gaining an appreciation for the hard work that goes into producing the food we often take for granted. It’s an immersive, holistic experience that allows you to understand the daily efforts of farming while appreciating the beauty of 18 forested acres and its delicate balance with nature.
Does this sound like the kind of experience you’re interested in? Register under Farm Tours & Workshops.