School & Visitor Tours

Flint Hill Farm Educational Center, Inc. is a 27-acre working horse-powered farm/working goat and cow dairy located in beautiful Lehigh County, PA. Operating on a farm that dates back to the 1850s, Flint Hill Farm offers school tours that have been developed to heighten awareness of the relationship between food, farm, and family and to increase the understanding of water and soil conservation. Recognizing the national crisis of obesity in our preschoolers, youth, pre-teens, and teens, we have built nutrition and good food choices into each unique experience of our hands-on active learning.

Our programs enhance core requirements of Pennsylvania schools' curricula. Expertise comes not only from Flint Hill Farm staff but also through the relationships we have developed with Penn State University, Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Penn State Extension Service, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Please review the options available and create a special tour package to meet your specific age group, time, and budget. All programs are designed to meet classroom curriculum standards for grade-appropriate skills in math, science, biology, ecology, and physical education. When calling for information, please define student ages and curriculum focus. Each group has a craft project designed for it. Parents are encouraged to attend as directed by the Farm/School Educational legislative initiatives in Harrisburg.

Fall/Winter:

Take a tour of the farm with a focus on awareness of the coming winter. Harvest time focus on garden tour and planting of cool weather crops in the greenhouses. Take our "woods" and pasture walk to look at the trees, shrubs, and pasture changes. Markers identify native PA trees and shrubs. Visit the goats, sheep, and horses and feel how their coats change! Our rabbits turn in their spring/summer colors for their fall/winter garb! Small felting projects, available for each child while visiting the blacksmith shop, allow for hands-on fiber experience.

Spring/Summer:

Take tours of the farm buildings, including hands-on experiences with goats, chickens, sheep, and horses. During the spring/summer each child visits the garden, the compost area, and earth worm farm. Each student will feel the different components that make up healthy soil and have an age-appropriate short educational session. They will prepare a Dixie cup garden and plant a pumpkin seed to take home in the spring and seasonal plant in the summer.

The gift shop is open after tours.
Time: 2 hours is suitable for students in grades K-3 (Science: seasonal changes, source of food and fiber, types of food eaten by the animals, birth of our goats if coming during kidding time)
Our blacksmith shop is an indoor facility that accommodates 25 students and offers demonstrations in fashioning wall hooks or other household objects using the coal forge, anvil, and authentic blacksmith vise from 1870.
Time: 45 minutes is suitable for students in grades 4-6 and up (Science: metals and their reaction to heat and pressure. History: blacksmith and forge, use of horsepower, and need for shoes. Math: problems added grade dependent)

Other activities include:

Antique Tractor-Drawn Hayride (indoor facility available for rain): Time: Approximately 45 minutes, ride times can vary. Wagon can accommodate 15 students per ride.
Spinning & Weaving Demonstration: Time: 45 minutes to 90 minutes. Hands-on fleece, drop spindle, and spinning wheel demonstrations. Students will create their own felting project to take home. Complexity of the project depends of the age and ability of the students. Must wear clothing that will be forgiving if soiled. Students will be handling fleece, soap, and moderately hot water. (Grades 4 and higher)
Forestry Tour (weather permitting): Time: 45 minutes to 90 minutes, depending on age and depth of topic covered. The Bureau of Forestry has created a guided nature walk through the six acres of woods and surrounding fields. Sustainable management of wooded areas will be discussed. Students will be able to identify native trees and ground cover with the aid of picture handouts. Must wear appropriate shoes and outer clothing should be season appropriate. Please note that bug repellent is necessary during the summer.
Cheesemaking: Time: 45 minutes to 60 minutes. Using milk that is produced by our cow and goat herd, students can participate in the cheesemaking process. Taste testing a must!
Colonial America vs Present Day America Farming: Horse-drawn equipment and wagon overview compared to present day tractor and machinery