resources for your overnight farm trip
We are excited to welcome you and your group to the farm! Below is a collection of forms, lists and resources that are designed to help you plan your trip, prepare your students and make your trip planning as easy possible.
We are here to help. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out for support.
Call the Farm Office: 413-625-9503 or email farmoffice@redgatefarm
Farm Director, Ben Murray (ben@redgatefarm.org) - cell: 413-628-1114
Assistant Director, Sydney Treuer (sydney@redgatefarm.org)
4 weeks before your visit:
Send student registrations to the farm. We require a list of student names and some basic information about allergies, dietary restrictions, medications and other conditions for our planning and to best prioritize their health and safety. Student registration is done by parents/guardians using the online registration link provided by the farm in your trip information packet. Registration links are specific to your school, and teachers and administrators are also provided with a link to our Teacher Administrator Portal (TAP) so they can monitor their group’s registrations.
Get your students and families ready for their trip. In addition to their registration form, they should have a school travel permission slip, and a plan for any medications that need to be brought from home. We have also provided this packing list for families and staff.
Check-in with your visiting adult leaders. All adults are also required to register prior to arrival and can be done through the same registration link provided to your school. Please also share this webpage, and in particular ensure everyone has read the Visiting Staff General Information section below.
Order your free t-shirts! As part of your program, we can provide a farm t-shirt for all participating students and leaders. To get your shirts, we need to have this t-shirt order form filled out and submitted three weeks prior to your trip. Late orders may not be able to be accommodated.
Please confirm invoice payment plan. Typically, final payment is due 30 days prior to your visit. If alternate arrangements are required, please contact the Farm Office to set these up.
Program extras. Do you need anything extra for your program? If so, now is the time to organize and order from the farm. Examples are a pack lunch for everyone on the bus ride home, or bringing more than 4 adult visiting staff. These services may have extra costs associated with them, and we’ll need to plan accordingly.
As you get on the bus, don't forget:
Have a list of the students organized into three different work groups. We have created this work group form to help you. These groups are who will be working together on work projects and chores, and we divide into these groups right after you arrive.
Have your room assignments for sleeping. Our student housing (called the Roost) has 11 bedrooms and you will know what the best sleeping arrangments are. Of the 11 rooms, there are 4 bedrooms intended for visiting staff that have only 1 bunkbed per room for a more private space. Most of the student rooms have 3 bunkbeds (sleeping 6 students). We have created this sleeping assignment worksheet for your use. Similar to the work groups, we use this information soon after you arrive.
Bring your school medical and trip permission forms. These typically include health insurance info and written guardian consent for doctor/hospital treatment.
Bring lunch for everyone. Our first meal together soon after you arrive is a bag lunch that students bring with them. Please remember that aside from this first lunch on the farm, no other extra food is permitted on the farm. Student snacks and other travel food should be collected for storage until departure.
Help us maintain our NO technology policy. There are no electronics permitted for students, and these should be collected upon arrival BEFORE exiting the bus. Visiting adult leaders may bring cameras or use their phones for cameras, but are asked to refrain from checking messages, calling or otherwise using devises unless in the privacy of their room or away from students.
Bus directions! The farm is located in a rural location that is accessible by bus. You will know when you are close when you lose cell service! When coming by bus, there are good ways to come and bad ways to come (due to sharp turns and steep roads). Please have your bus driver use these specific bus directions on our website, and we also recommend printing and bringing these bus notes for your driver.
General Information for Visiting School Staff
The special experience that is created at Red Gate Farm relies upon a close collaboration between you, the visiting staff, and all those that comprise the Red Gate Farm community. Working with you is hugely rewarding for all of us here at the farm, and we feel a sense of true partnership with you right from the start. We look forward to working alongside you to provide a rich and full program for the children that you have brought here. We will therefore be gratefully asking you to help out with a few things…
Registration and Information
We count on you to have a relationship with the children you are bringing, and to be largely responsible for their emotional and physical well-being while they are here. To this end, please be certain to bring up-to-date versions of the medical release forms that your school requires for field trips. Specific to this trip, please ensure you have a completed farm registration form form for each student. We are most interested in knowing from from parents:
1. if a child has any allergies (food or otherwise), physical limitations, or other differences that might prevent them from working on a farm or around large animals;
2. if a child has any medications that are necessary for the trip (and please designate a member of your staff that will be responsible for holding and administering these meds);
3. if a child has any sleep/nighttime issues such as sleepwalking or frequent trips out of bed.
Emergency Planning
Our staff are certified in First Aid/CPR, but it is helpful to know if there are any similar certifications/skill-sets among the visiting staff group.
There will be an emergency point person from our staff available at all times. We also ask that the visiting staff group establish a point person of their own to clarify communication in the event of an emergency. The visiting point person may likely be the senior staff person, or the staff person with the greatest amount of emergency training.
Role of Visiting Staff
Your visit should be as rewarding for you as it is for your students. Visiting Staff come, not only to lead their students, but to participate in the farm visit experience. Wherever possible we suggest that you actively engage in the program with your students.
In particular, we rely on visiting staff during scheduled free times and during evening routines/bedtimes. At these times, RGF staff will not necessarily be present, and we depend on visiting staff to supervise and help the students work within the community guidelines established in our Community Meeting. It is advised that a bedtime plan be pre-conceived, allowing the students a chance to transition from an evening activity into a quiet evening routine. Once the students are in bed, visiting staff members are responsible for them through the nighttime hours.
Here is a sample schedule which also indicates when visiting staff are responsible for student supervision.
General Farm Rules
Upon arrival, we will share the farm rules and expectations with the students and you. However, Visiting Staff should be aware of the following:
1.) tobacco and alcohol are not permitted
2.) food brought from home is collected into storage after lunch, and returned upon departure
3.) students are not permitted to use the farm phone or to call home (staff will be in touch in the unlikely event of an emergency)
4.) additional outside guests or visitors are generally not permitted
5.) staff should not be alone with a student - we use the buddy-system
Other Bits and Pieces
You should arrive prepared with a list organizing the students into three roughly equal groups for their work on the farm. Additionally you should prepare room assignments for students and staff (we have worksheets for each of these tasks that you can use).
Groups participating in activities at Red Gate Farm give their permission for photographs and/or video to be taken for use by Red Gate Farm and used for marketing purposes and presentations. If parents, teachers or students do not wish their images to be used, please inform us ahead of your visit so that we may respect these requests.
Here are some additional policies and recommendations we make based on our past experiences:
1.) Students are not allowed to call home and check-ins with parents are discouraged. This will make it easier for you to help students who are feeling homesick or challenged with spending the night at the farm. If a parent has an emergency message they can always call the farm office (413) 625-9503 and we will relay it to school staff.
2.) Talk to your students ahead of time about their interests, anxieties and ideas about their farm visit. We are happy to answer any questions you cannot answer yourself!
3.) Visiting staff do best if they are qualified teachers or group leaders. Parent volunteers are wonderful, but face the challenge of being objective and allowing their own child to independently experience the farm.
4.) Ensure your students bring the things on their pack list (they are all important) and leave everything else at home (it only becomes a distraction). If you need assistance acquiring items, please contact us for help. NO ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE PERMITTED FOR STUDENT USE AND WILL BE COLLECTED. This includes Kindles and other screen based readers
Lastly... YES we have delicious coffee and tea service available at all times for visiting staff!!!
We are so grateful to you for making this trip possible for your students and, indeed, for us. We look forward to having a tremendous time!!!
