1870 Farm

What 1870 Farm does

1870 Farm is a privately held, family-owned children's farm and educational camp business located on a historic 150+ year-old property at 1224 Old Lystra Road in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The company delivers hands-on, experiential programming centered on animal care, outdoor recreation, and nature-based education for children and families. Its product portfolio spans summer day camp ($585/week for ages 5-13), overnight camp partnering with UNC-Chapel Hill ($1,595/session for ages 9-15), birthday parties ($455 for up to 12 children), toddler/parent farm classes ($145 for a 6-week session), a Kids Vet Club and Junior Vet Academy led by a DVM veterinarian, teacher workday camps, an after-school program with school pickup, and Pocket Pastures (a monthly subscription product renting mini-pastures for chickens, goats, or ponies at $275-$550/month). The Junior Vet Academy additionally partners with NC State College of Veterinary Medicine, Duke Lemur Center, and Orange County Animal Shelter for educational excursions.

Name

1870 Farm

Legal name

1870 Farm

Website

https://1870farm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

1870 Farm is a family-owned Chapel Hill farm offering hands-on children's programming including summer camps, birthday parties, veterinary science workshops, toddler classes, and animal care subscriptions for families in the Research Triangle area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chapel Hill

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Summer Day Camp Registration: Weekly full-day camp programs for children ages 5-13 at $585 per week. Includes activities such as animal care, gardening, arts and crafts, fishing, gemstone mining, and outdoor games. Additional fees for early drop-off ($75/week) and late care until 5:30 PM ($150/week).
2. Overnight Farm Camp: Multi-night residential camp experience partnering with UNC-Chapel Hill. Campers ages 9-15 stay on UNC campus and participate in farm activities during the day. Sessions run Sunday through Friday at $1,595 per session.
3. Weekend Admission: Open Farm Days on Saturdays during season. $20 admission fee includes vehicle and all occupants, with farm open 4-8:00 PM.
4. Birthday Party Packages: Two-hour birthday party events at $455 for up to 12 children. Includes private indoor party space, farm tour, one activity (gem mining, goat soap, or pickle making), water and lemonade. Additional children at $17 each. $200 deposit required to reserve date.
5. Kids Vet Club Add-on: Veterinary science workshops available as add-on to day camp. $195 per week add-on fee for 4 workshops during camp week. Subject to availability.
6. Teacher Workday Camps: Single-day mini camp programs on school holidays for ages 5-13 at $125 per day. Runs 8:30am-3:30pm.
7. Toddler/Parent Farm Classes: Six-week session programs for children ages 1-5 with parent participation. $145 for 6 classes ($24 per class), includes one adult and one child. Additional siblings $95 each. Offered through My Little Farmer program.
8. Pocket Pastures Rental: Monthly rental of mini-pastures for families to care for their chosen animals. Hen Haven from $275/month, Kid Corral (goats) from $450/month, Pony Pasture from $550/month. Includes daily feeding, water, gardening plot, fishing access, and indoor lounge area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

1870 Farm operates a children's farm experience and educational camp business at its Chapel Hill, NC property, offering hands-on animal care, gardening, and outdoor recreation programs. Core paid offerings include summer day camps (ages 5–13), overnight camps partnering with UNC-Chapel Hill (ages 9–15), birthday parties, toddler/parent farm mornings (ages 1–5), Kids Vet Club workshops led by a DVM, Junior Vet Academy, teacher workday camps, after-school program with school pickup, and Pocket Pastures animal rental subscriptions.

Product overview

1870 Farm is a children's farm experience and educational camp business offering a portfolio of programs centered on farm life, animal interaction, and outdoor adventure. The core offerings include Summer Day Camp (ages 5-13) and Summer Overnight Camp partnering with UNC-Chapel Hill (ages 9-15), alongside Birthday Parties, Toddler/Parent Farm Mornings, Kids Vet Club Workshops, Junior Vet Academy, Teacher Workday Camps, and an After School Program. The farm also operates Pocket Pastures, an animal adoption add-on allowing families to care for reserved farm animals. Open Farm Days and private tours provide general public access. The business operates as a unified service model without a technology platform or modules—the programs share a common farm location and staff but function as distinct booking entities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kids Vet Club: Age-appropriate animal care and skill building workshops for kids 6-15, led by Dr. Amanda McKee. Offers hands-on veterinary experience.
• Junior Vet Academy
• Pocket Pastures
• My Little Farmer

Products and services

• Summer Day Camp Full-day summer camp experience for children ages 5-13 featuring hands-on animal care, outdoor games, arts and crafts, fishing, gemstone mining, and farm activities from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM, priced at $585/week with optional early drop-off ($75/week) and late care to 5:30 PM ($150/week).
• Summer Overnight Camp Multi-night residential overnight camp for children ages 9-15 partnering with UNC-Chapel Hill, combining farm experiences with campus recreational activities including dorm living, UNC dining hall meals, swimming, gaga ball, volleyball, and tennis, priced at $1,595 per session running Sunday afternoon through Friday afternoon.
• Junior Camp Half-day summer camp experience for children ages 3-5 offering age-appropriate farm activities, animal interaction, and forest exploration in a supervised setting from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
• Counselor in Training (CIT) Program Leadership development program for teens ages 14-16 providing experience in program facilitation and assisting with daily summer camp activities.
• Birthday Parties Two-hour private birthday party events held in climate-controlled indoor party spaces with farm tours, animal interactions, and themed activities including gem mining, goat soap making, and pickle making, at $455 for up to 12 children ($17 per additional child) with a $200 deposit required to reserve the date.
• Toddler/Parent Farm Mornings Weekly sensory-based 6-week session classes for children ages 1-5 accompanied by parents or caregivers, featuring hands-on animal interaction, farm exploration, and themed activities, priced at $145 for 6 classes ($24/class), including one adult and one child, with class sizes limited to 10 children and additional siblings at $95 each.
• Kids Vet Club Workshops Veterinary science workshops for children ages 6-15 led by Dr. Amanda McKee DVM, offering two-hour hands-on veterinary experience including animal handling, wound care techniques, diagnostic tools, and examination skills.
• Junior Vet Academy Immersive 5-night veterinary science program for ages 10-15 run by Dr. Amanda McKee DVM, combining farm-based activities with excursions to NC State Veterinary Science, Duke Lemur Center, Orange County Animal Shelter, and NC State Dairy, available as overnight or commuter day camp.
• Teacher Workday Camps Single-day mini camps for children ages 5-13 held on teacher workdays, featuring farm exploration, animal encounters, games, and hands-on projects from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM at $125 per day.
• After School Program Afternoon program running 3:00-6:00 PM offering pickup from Scroggs Elementary School and North Chatham Elementary, with a drop-off option also available, providing supervised farm and nature activities for school-age children.
• Pocket Pastures Monthly subscription program allowing families to reserve mini-pastures on the farm for chickens (Hen Haven from $275/month), goats (Kid Corral from $450/month), or ponies (Pony Pasture from $550/month), with daily feeding, water, gardening plot, fishing access, and indoor lounge area included.
• Open Farm Days Seasonal public visiting days where visitors can explore the farm grounds, meet animals, and enjoy farm activities on select Saturdays, with $20 admission including vehicle and all occupants and farm open 4-8:00 PM.
• Private Tours and Events Customized private farm tours and special event hosting for families and groups at 1870 Farm, arranged by appointment via email and handled by David as the private bookings contact.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12 consecutive years of Best of Chapel Hill recognition
• +3 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNC-Chapel HillcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner1870 Farm partners with UNC-Chapel Hill for overnight summer camp programs. Campers ages 9-15 stay in UNC campus dorms, eat meals at the UNC dining hall, and participate in recreational activities (swimming, gaga ball, volleyball, tennis) on campus. During the day, campers travel to 1870 Farm for hands-on farm activities. This partnership enables a unique camp experience combining residential university living with authentic farm experiences.
• Junior Vet Academy (Dr. Amanda McKee)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Amanda McKee DVM runs the Junior Vet Academy program in partnership with 1870 Farm. The camp is based primarily at the farm with Dr. McKee leading veterinary science education. Excursions include visits to NC State Veterinary Science, Duke Lemur Center, Orange County Animal Shelter, and NC State Dairy. The program now enters its 9th season. Dr. McKee is a graduate of NC State College of Veterinary Medicine (1998) with experience in private practice, mobile veterinary service, animal shelter medicine, and traditional Chinese veterinary medicine.
• NC State College of Veterinary MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJunior Vet Academy partners with NC State College of Veterinary Medicine for educational excursions. Campers visit the facility as part of the veterinary science camp program to explore veterinary care and animal science.
• Duke Lemur CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJunior Vet Academy partners with Duke Lemur Center for educational excursions. Part of the veterinary science camp experience exploring exotic animal care and conservation.
• Orange County Animal ShelterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJunior Vet Academy partners with Orange County Animal Shelter for educational excursions. Provides campers exposure to shelter medicine and animal welfare operations.
• My Little FarmercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor1870 Farm hosts My Little Farmer toddler and parent farm class program. My Little Farmer handles registration and scheduling through their platform (Hisa Sawyer). Classes are offered as 6-week sessions for children ages 1-5 with parent participation. Activities include farm animal interactions, sensory experiences, and nature exploration. Registration links direct to My Little Farmer booking system.
• NC State DairyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJunior Vet Academy partners with NC State Dairy for educational excursions as part of the veterinary science camp program.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ticonderoga Farms: Virginia farm offering seasonal events, animal interactions, and family activities. Comparable as a regional farm-based family destination combining animals, activities, and event hosting.
• Green Meadows Petting Farm: Multi-location petting and educational farm offering animal interactions, school field trips, and birthday parties. Comparable as a farm-based children's experience business with hands-on animal programming.
• Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture: Pocantico Hills, NY educational farm and event venue focused on food, agriculture, and nature programming. Comparable as a working farm that monetizes through educational experiences, events, and on-site programming.
• Frying Pan Farm Park: Fairfax County, VA farm park offering animal interactions, educational programs, birthday parties, and seasonal events. Direct comparable as a working farm that monetizes through on-site educational and event programming for families and children.
• Ardenwood Historic Farm: Fremont, CA historic farm offering educational programs, animal interactions, and seasonal events. Comparable as a historic farm property that monetizes through heritage-driven educational and family programming.
• Queens County Farm Museum: NYC-area educational farm hosting school programs, birthday parties, seasonal events, and animal interactions. Direct comparable as a heritage farm that combines agricultural setting with children's programming and event rentals.
• Cox Farms: Centreville, VA family farm known for fall festivals, animal interactions, and seasonal family programming. Comparable as an agritourism farm that generates revenue through on-site family experiences and events.
• Shelburne Farms: Vermont nonprofit educational farm offering children's programs, camps, and on-farm experiences. Comparable as a historic farm property with formal educational programs for children and families.
• Billings Farm & Museum: Woodstock, VT working farm and museum offering educational programs, animal interactions, and family events. Comparable as a heritage farm combining animal operations with educational and event programming.

Emerging players

• Sweetbriar Nature Center: Smithtown, NY nature center with animal ambassadors, educational programs, and family events. Comparable as a smaller-scale nature/animals-based educational programming business for children and families in the Northeast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/1870Farm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1870-farm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 1870 Farm