Mid-Atlantic Farm Based Education Network

The Mid-Atlantic Farm-Based Educators Network serves farm-based educations in six states with its home at the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation. Farm-based educators (FBE) work as mentors, teachers, and facilitators in agriculture education on commercial farms, non-profit farms, private institution facilities, and public lands across Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia. The network is free to join. Just subscribe to The Buzz, our monthly newsletter, and join one of our winter training workshops, summer or harvest tours, or regional conferences to meet other FBE from across the region.

Past Gatherings

Summer Ag Camps on the Farm: Winter Directors/Managers FBE Workshop

January 16, 2019

Urbana, Maryland

Summer camps on the farm offer a range of health/nutrition/ag/environment teaching and learning opportunities for children, families, and youth groups. A well-run summer ag camp can be the bread-and-butter of a farm-based education program. Join Brian Kuser of Fernbrook Farms, New Jersey, (Fernbrook Farms) and Nick Miller of Mountainside Bar-T, Maryland, (Mountainside Bar-T) as they lead a special session on how to build, grow, and maintain ag-related summer camps. Enjoy a walking tour of Mountainside, an in-depth session on ag camps, a session on farm-based education, and lunch courtesy of MAEF.

Resources for the Farm-Based Educator

Be sure to download A Guide For Connecting Schools, Communities, and Farms through Experiential and Hands-On Education Programs, Summer Camps, and School Visits for ideas and information on how to set-up and operate a farm-based education program.
Visit the National Farm-Based Education Network website for lots of information on national events and gatherings, curriculum, workshops, and FBE training programs based out of Shelburne Farms in Vermont. Farm-Based Education Network

Horse Discovery Centers

Maryland Horse Industry Board launched a statewide network of 35 Horse Discovery Centers in 15 counties in April 2015. These centers are carefully selected, licensed stables that are welcoming people of all ages and experience levels into their barns to learn about horses in a friendly and knowledgeable environment. They range from trail riding centers to Western riding operations to horse rescues and stables offering summer camps, English equitation, even Civil War re-enactments.

In 2015 MHIB partnered with MAEF to create a middle school field trip curriculum, Horses for Courses, for equestrian farm-based educators to use with visiting schools and youth groups/camps at their centers. Each winter MAEF offers a training for “Horses for Courses” workshop for educators and other adults interested in using the curriculum on their farms. Feel free to download the curriculum here!

Horses for Courses FBE Curriculum (pdf)