The Farm School

What The Farm School does

The Farm School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization (EIN 22-2959081) founded in 1989 in north central Massachusetts, operating across nearly 400 acres straddling the towns of Athol and Orange. The organization runs an integrated portfolio of farm-based programs: the Program for Visiting Schools (PVS) serves over 1,500 children annually through 3-day residential visits by school groups of up to 40 students; the Summer Program offers 5- to 11-day residential sessions for youth ages 10-16; the Chicken Coop Middle School is a full-time homeschool cooperative for 10-14 local 7th and 8th graders (relocated to Stone by Stone Farm in North Orange for the 2024-25 academic year); the Nipmuc Land Project supports the Nipmuc Tribe's reacquaintance with ancestral lands at Pequoig Farm; the Food and Sharing Program redirects farm production to food-insecure communities; and the Strategic Development initiative, funded by a USDA SARE grant, addresses BIPOC farmland access in central Massachusetts. Named partner schools include Cambridge Friends School, Falmouth Academy, Boston Collegiate Charter School, The Advent School, Dedham Country Day School, Salem Carlton School, Charles River School, Sophia Academy, and San Miguel Providence.

The organization's operational core is a working farm encompassing vegetable gardens, young orchards, maple sugaring, dairy operations (up to 6 milking cows), livestock (pigs, beef cows, goats, chickens, oxen), woodlot management, and pasture. Students participate fully in all farm operations, integrating experiential learning with Massachusetts curriculum frameworks in math, literature, social studies, science, and writing. The organization has historically operated a 200-member vegetable CSA and 50-member meat CSA but concluded its 16-year Learn to Farm Program in 2020 and shifted food production toward a donation model.

The Farm School's revenue model is diversified across program tuition (sliding-scale visiting school fees tied to federal school lunch program participation, tiered summer program tuition ranging from $500 to $3,480 based on household income, and variable Chicken Coop Middle School tuition from $1,000 to $16,250 assessed via FACTS Grant and Aid application), tax-deductible individual donations (PayPal, Venmo, checks, stocks, Donor-Advised Fund grants), foundation grants (USDA SARE, United Way of North Central MA, Community Foundation of North Central Mass), and annual fundraising events. The Development and Storytelling Director is scoped to raise approximately $1-1.2 million annually. The organization is led by CEO Carmen Mouzon with a Board of Directors chaired by Ralph Wales, and operates with a staff of 1-10 employees.

Name

The Farm School

Legal name

The Farm School

Website

https://farmschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Farm School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1989 that operates residential farm-based educational programs across nearly 400 acres in north central Massachusetts, serving over 1,500 children annually through visiting school groups, summer sessions, and a middle school cooperative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Farm-Based Education

NAICS

Other Crop Farming (1119), Sheep and Goat Farming (1124), Hay Farming (111940)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Agricultural Production & Farm Operations (EDAOAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agribusiness, Farm Management & Compliance (EDAOAOAN), Grazing & Pasture-Based Operations (Range, Rotational Grazing) (AFAEAFAG), Succession, Governance & Ownership Transition Advisory (AFACAJAO)

Keywords

• Farm-based education
• Residential youth programs
• Experiential learning
• Nonprofit agricultural education
• Middle school cooperative

Headquarters

HQ city

Athol

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition: Revenue from visiting school programs, summer programs, and Chicken Coop Middle School tuition. Schools charged on sliding scale based on federally funded school lunch program participation. Summer programs use tiered tuition based on household income.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Tax-deductible donations through PayPal, Venmo, check, stocks, and Donor-Advised Fund grants. The Farm School is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 22-2959081).
3. Foundation Grants: Funding from Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant, support from United Way of North Central MA, Community Foundation of North Central Mass, and other foundation partners.
4. Fundraising Events: Annual Farm School Fundraising Benefit featuring concerts, live auctions featuring scholarships, and invitation-only events at Henrietta's Table at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square.
5. Food Sales (Historical): Previously operated 200-member vegetable CSA and 50 member meat CSA. Now shifting to donation model for food distribution to food-insecure communities. Limited pork and beef available for sale by half/whole animal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Farm School operates a non-profit educational farm spanning nearly 400 acres in north central Massachusetts, delivering multi-day residential farm programs for visiting school groups, summer programs for youth ages 10-16, a full-time homeschool cooperative middle school, the Nipmuc Land Project with the Nipmuc Tribe, and a food donation program serving food-insecure communities. The organization integrates hands-on agricultural work with academic curriculum and offers immersive land-stewardship experiences.

Product overview

The Farm School is a non-profit educational organization offering multiple interweaving farm-based programs spread across nearly 400 acres in north central Massachusetts. The core offerings include the Program for Visiting Schools (multi-day residential farm experiences for school groups), the Summer Program (extended farm stays for youth ages 10-16), and the Chicken Coop Middle School (a full-time homeschool cooperative for 7th-8th graders). Supporting programs include the Nipmuc Land Project (indigenous land stewardship partnership), the Food and Sharing Program (food insecurity relief through farm production), and Strategic Development initiatives (BIPOC land access). The organization leverages FACTS for tuition assessment and PayPal/Venmo for donation processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Program for Visiting Schools (PVS): Multi-day residential programs for school groups of up to 40 students, providing 3-day programs throughout the school year for over 1,500 children annually.
• Summer Program for Youth
• Chicken Coop Middle School
• Nipmuc Land Project

Products and services

• Program for Visiting Schools (PVS) Multi-day, residential farm-based educational program for school groups of up to 40 students each, serving over 1,500 children per year through 3-day visits throughout the school year. Targets partner schools across New England, with tuition on sliding scale tied to the school's participation in the federally funded school lunch program.
• Summer Program for Youth Extended farm stay programs for youth ages 10-16 during summer months, with sessions ranging from 5 to 11 days covering farming, animal care, hiking, and crafts. Includes gender-specific sessions and CampOUT for LGBTQIA+ youth. Tiered tuition based on household income ranging from $500 to $3,480.
• Chicken Coop Middle School Full-time homeschool cooperative for local 7th and 8th grade students located at Stone by Stone Farm in North Orange, MA, serving 10-14 students with a curriculum integrating farm life experiences and academics. Variable tuition using FACTS Grant and Aid application ranging from $1,000 minimum to $16,250 full rate for 2026-27.
• Nipmuc Land Project Initiative building and deepening relationships with the Nipmuc Community, supporting the tribe's reacquaintance and stewardship of ancestral lands at Pequoig Farm. Includes community meetings, gatherings, workshops, and traditional crop cultivation.
• Food and Sharing Program Food production and distribution program that redirects scaled vegetable and meat operations to address food insecurity in local Orange/Athol communities and partner-school communities. Partnerships include Quabbin Harvest senior share program.
• Strategic Development Initiative Land access initiative funded by Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant, collaborating with The Mount Grace Land Trust, East Quabbin Land Trust, and Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust to develop policies and practices that increase land transfers to BIPOC farmers and nonprofits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 children connect to the land annually through visiting school programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Quabbin HarvestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Quabbin Harvest senior share program to serve families facing food insecurity in local Athol/Orange area. Farm School products available at their cooperative location. Collaboration expanded during COVID-19 to identify and serve families facing increased food insecurity.
• The Mount Grace Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education funded project to increase land access and land transfers to BIPOC farmers and nonprofits in central Massachusetts. Project goal is to define policies and practices that have contributed to racial demographic breakdowns of farmland ownership.
• East Quabbin Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on SARE-funded strategic development project to increase land access for BIPOC farmers and nonprofits. Working together to develop and implement new policies and practices for increased BIPOC owned farmland and access to farming resources.
• Northeast Farmers of Color Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on strategic development project for BIPOC land access. Working together to address the current racial demographic breakdown where over 96% of farmland in rural Massachusetts is owned by white farmers.
• Nipmuc Tribe / Pequoig FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding and deepening relationships with Nipmuc Community. Farm formerly known as Maggie's is held by both Nipmuc Tribe members and Farm School staff to support Nipmuc's vision of reacquaintance and stewardship of ancestral lands. Tribe cultivates traditional crops while getting to know the land again.
• Stone by Stone FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocation where Chicken Coop Middle School relocated beginning '24-25 academic year, less than 10 minutes from main Farm School campus. Move created space for Nipmuc Tribe's relationship to ancestral lands.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment: Nonprofit farm and education campus in Freeport, ME offering farm camp, school visits, and sustainable agriculture programming; directly comparable as a working farm hosting residential youth education.
• Chewonki Foundation: Nonprofit in Wiscasset, ME operating a 400-acre campus with a farm, residential summer camps, and school group programs; directly comparable as a New England residential farm-based education nonprofit.
• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Nonprofit farm and education center in Pocantico Hills, NY offering farm-based learning programs for youth and adults; directly comparable as a working farm that delivers residential and educational programming.
• Hawthorne Valley Farm: Biodynamic farm and Waldorf-school-affiliated nonprofit in Ghent, NY with school programs, camp, and place-based learning; directly comparable farm-based education nonprofit serving school groups and youth.
• Shelburne Farms: Nonprofit educational farm in Shelburne, VT that hosts school programs, summer camps, and professional development on a 1,400-acre property; directly comparable as a farm-based residential education nonprofit serving school groups.

Broad incumbents

• Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (UC Santa Cruz): University-based farm and apprenticeship program at UC Santa Cruz with farm-based education and training; broadly comparable as an established farm-education institution though anchored in a public university.
• Teton Science Schools: Nonprofit in Jackson, WY operating residential place-based education programs for schools and youth including a working farm; broadly comparable as a multi-program residential outdoor education nonprofit.

Others

• Quabbin Harvest: Local food cooperative and senior share program in Orange/Athol, MA; comparable as a regional food-distribution partner rather than a competitor, and an existing distribution channel for Farm School produce.
• Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust: Land trust supporting BIPOC farmers across the Northeast; comparable as a collaborator on the SARE-funded BIPOC land access project rather than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Green Mountain Farm-to-School: Nonprofit in Newport, VT delivering farm-to-school programming and school garden education; comparable as a New England farm-education nonprofit serving schools, though lighter on residential programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/farmschool.org
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_farm_school/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-farm-school

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Farm School