By Matt de Simone
The Farm School located at Woodsdale Mains is quietly cultivating a new generation of stewards in Fincastle. Launched in 2022 as an extension of Valley Forest School, this agricultural education program offers something increasingly rare: hands-on, boots-in-the-dirt learning that connects children directly to the land, their food, and the work it takes to care for both.
The school was born from a shared vision between Valley Forest School founder Bekah Quirin and longtime outdoor educator and pediatric nurse Anne Chappell McCallister, both of whom saw an opportunity to expand the mission of Valley Forest School into agricultural education.
“I grew up helping my mom with Farm Camps each summer. This helped me develop a passion for working with children, animals, and the outdoors,” McCallister said in a recent interview. “One evening, Bekah and I got together for dinner where unknowingly we both had plans to talk to the other about opening a farm school at our farm – a place where students could learn homesteading skills, gardening, and animal husbandry. Since both of us had the exact same hope at the same time, I knew this was meant to be. It has been a dream come true being able to share my farm and animals with children in my community and watching them fall in love with caring for animals, gardening, and caring for the land.”
Their mutual desire to give children meaningful experiences with farming and homesteading took root on McCallister’s family land – now home to the Fincastle location of Valley Forest Schools, which also operates in Catawba and Palmyra, Va. and also in Travelers Rest, S.C.
From its inception, the school has aimed to reconnect young people to traditional agricultural practices – many of which shaped the very fabric of Botetourt County. “Farm School is a place where the traditions of our ancestors are brought back to life in our modern world,” McCallister explained. Whether it’s picking green beans or mucking horse stalls, the emphasis is on real work, shared responsibility, and an ethic of care.
Every day on the farm is different, shaped by both curriculum and necessity. “Our Farm School instructors guide the young farmers each day based on the needs on the farm in addition to the curriculum. The farm needs change all the time! Our in-house curriculum focuses on caring for the animals and garden. The students learn how to care for, safely handle, and sustainably manage the various animals on the farm,” McCallister said.
Each school day begins with the ring of a large yard bell, followed by a morning circle where students – ranging from toddlers in parent-child classes to teens in advanced programming – review the day’s theme, observe the weather, and ground themselves through light movement and reflection. From there, the work begins.
Tasks are wide-ranging and tailored to developmental stages. Students care for horses, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and barn cats – learning how to handle animals safely, interpret their body language, and perform essential tasks like trimming hooves, shearing sheep, and rotating pastures. They build shelters, muck stalls, and even assist with castrating lambs, under supervision. These aren’t symbolic chores – they’re meaningful, necessary, and deeply educational.
The property itself plays a central role in shaping the curriculum. Woodsdale Mains Farm and Events shares over 100 acres of open pasture, creek, and woodland with adjoining family land. Students have helped build out the school’s infrastructure, from garden beds to compost systems to greenhouse seedling stations. They monitor soil health, haul rabbit manure in child-sized wheelbarrows, and keep the garden thriving through all seasons. Mill Creek, which flows through the property, becomes a natural science lab as students wade in to test water quality and remove litter, part of their education about watershed stewardship and the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem.
As the seasons change, so do the tasks. Older students take part in canning and preserving food, including applesauce that’s sold at the school’s year-end farmers market. A highlight of the year for many is the farm-to-table meat chicken project, where students raise chickens from chicks to harvest. They construct brooders and movable chicken tractors, care for the birds daily, and participate in the butchering process. The goal is not just self-sufficiency, but awareness. One student, asked why this chicken was different from those she usually ate, replied: “I’ve seen it for its whole life and cared for it.” That kind of reflection is central to the Farm School’s ethos.
The school is closely integrated into the local agricultural landscape. It partners with organizations like the Botetourt County Extension Office, which provides embryology lessons and incubation equipment, and Mountain Castles Soil and Water Conservation, which supplies tools for environmental education. Woodsdale Mains also hosts field trips for public school groups and preschool programs, as well as summer camps for non-homeschooled children looking to get a taste of farm life.
One of the most impactful programs is the farm-to-table meat chicken project. “Students can opt into participating in farm to table meat chicken,” McCallister added. “They raise the chickens from day one up through butchering. After the students participate in the 10-week process, they take a chicken home to share a meal with their families. We love when parents send us photos of families gathered around the table with their beautiful roasted chicken at the center.”
For Botetourt County, with its deep-rooted farming heritage, The Farm School is more than an educational experiment – it’s a living tribute to a way of life that still sustains much of the region. “Many of our students have said they want to be farmers when they grow up,” McCallister continued. Even if they don’t follow that path, the lessons stay with them: how to grow food, how to care for animals, how to work together, and how to appreciate the land that feeds them.
Like any working farm, the school has its challenges. Inclement weather tests the infrastructure. Winter mud can stress the land. Sustaining soil health across such frequent use requires careful planning and rotation. But those very challenges are part of what makes the experience real – and valuable.
Now heading into its fourth and largest year yet, the Farm School continues to grow. With expanded enrollment and more interest from families across the region, the program is deepening its role in Botetourt’s educational and agricultural future. Plans for expanded offerings are on the horizon, including new classes and opportunities for older students.
For families curious about the program, summer camps offer a hands-on introduction to the Farm School’s approach. More information can be found at valleyforestschool.com.
At its core, the Farm School is doing more than teaching kids to garden or feed chickens. It’s asking them to slow down, look closer, and recognize the value of hard work, living things, and local food. It’s sowing the seeds of future farmers – but also future citizens with dirt under their nails and gratitude in their hearts.
