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Welcome to. Hard Bargain Farm. Environmental Center. Hard Bargain Farm is about ten miles south of Washington, DC on the shore of the Potomac River.
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Welcome to Hard Bargain Farm Environmental Center
Hard Bargain Farm is about ten miles south of Washington, DC on the shore of the Potomac River.
Alice and Henry Ferguson settled here in the 1920’s. The farm was their weekend and summertime retreat. They stayed in the cabin while they had their farmhouse built. You will get to see both places!
Today school children visit to learn about the Chesapeake Bay watershed by exploring a small part of it – the Accokeek Creek watershed.
They also learn about life on a farm and help with some farm chores. Working in the garden Cow milking Gathering eggs
Visit our interactive website before your trip. http://www.fergusonfoundation.org Click on “Kids’ Zone”.
Everyone needs to bring a bag lunch for the first day. All other meals will be provided. Can you pack a Trash-Free lunch? Think about reusable or recyclable containers instead of things with wrappers that must be thrown away. Our Website has an activity that will help you.
Bring outdoor clothes! We will be outside most of the time and may get very dirty. We always have fun though! You will need three changes of clothes and an extra pair of shoes. Bring slippers for nighttime.
Cold Weather Listen to the weather report before you come. In cold weather, you will need a warm coat, hat and gloves or mittens.
Hot Weather In warmer weather, you still need long pants and sneakers to protect your legs and feet during our outdoor walks. No shorts, skirts or flip-flops for hiking!
Rainy Days We love rain on the farm! If the weather report predicts rain, bring a raincoat because we will still go hiking.
Pack your toothbrush and toothpaste, towel, washcloth, soap, and hairbrush. Also, bring a pillow and a sleeping bag or bedroll.
Are there things that I can’t bring to HBF? Yes! Do not bring any electronic devices. • Game Boys MP3 Players Radios Ipods Tape players Video Cameras Laser pointers Pocket knives/tools Anything else that your teachers have told you not to bring to school. to school
And claim a bunk in the sleeping quarters of the Lodge. Put something soft on your bunk and then wait for instructions. You don’t need to make your bed yet!
Housecleaning Guess who cleans up your messes during your trip? You do! Kids do all the cleaning here, so plan on leaving your muddy shoes outside the bunkroom when you return from a hike.
Don’t forget the bathrooms and the kitchen. We are looking for a clean sweep!
Hard Bargain Farm is a 330-acre working farm that we will help you to explore. We have many kinds of animals, some of the ones you will probably see are…
You will also meet our dairy cows and even have a chance to milk them.
You will learn about corn and other crops and how they are used to feed people and animals.
You will also get to visit the barn where the hay is kept and see some more animals in the barnyard!
And, you will get to visit the chicken coop and learn some interesting things about chickens.
You will also get to explore the different habitats around the farm by going for a hike. Keep your eyes open for cool plants and animals!
Winter is a great time to see our nation’s symbol, the bald eagle. They don’t get the white head and tail until they are five years old! In early Spring, you might see osprey building nests, fighting or fishing. They have just returned from South America, where they spent the winter!
When we reach the boardwalk along the river, we might get to see a great blue heron fishing… or perhaps some painted turtles sunning themselves.
We will also see how people impact the river and the shoreline with their daily activities.
We will learn about different kinds of cycles in nature, like producers, consumers and decomposers…
And some interesting things about the water cycle, like where does the rainwater go and how does that affect the land around us.
Before dinner, we’ll all take a hay wagon ride together! We’ll go through the farm fields and down to the river. Keep your eyes peeled for deer and eagles!
After breakfast, pack up your things and leave them outside.
Head to the barnyard. Our dairy cows are waiting to be milked! Be sure to share a little with the cat! And our hungry pigs will be expecting their breakfast, so don’t keep them waiting!
Next, we’ll visit the Tool Museum to learn about old-fashioned farm tools and farm life. What would your job have been on the farm 100 years ago?
You will also get to visit our problem solving course in the woods. It takes good teamwork to solve the problems. Are you a good team member?
Before lunch, you’ll participate in an activity called “Who Polluted the Potomac?”. Are YOU making the river messy? We’ll see!
After lunch, you will load all your stuff back onto the bus and head back to school.
We hope you will always remember your visit to Hard Bargain Farm and how much fun it can be to learn about nature and to be outdoors!
