EDUCATIONAL FARM TOURS
We're are accepting tours reservations for the 2010 Spring and Summer Season!
Sharp's at Waterford Farm is a 530 acre working farm located in western Howard County. The farm produces field corn, soybeans, and grazes hundreds of goats, sheep, and cattle. There are production greenhouses that are full of organic herbs, vegetable, and flowers. A nature trail meanders through 100 acres of woodland under forestry management. The Cattail Creek flows through the farm to its' ultimate destination, Triadelphia Reservoir, which supplies the DC area with drinking water. There are 3 wildlife ponds, 3 irrigation ponds, and acres of installed riparian buffer and wildlife plantings on the farm.
The Sharp family has been farming for over 100 years and has been offering educational programs since 1980 to schools, daycares, scout groups, homeschoolers and families through out the Maryland area.
The educational programs that we offer at Sharp Farm focus on agriculture and the agriculture/environmental link. Most of our programs are designed to compliment the Science or Social Studies curriculum for the elementary level into the early middle school years. Our educational programs are adapted for the age group and grade level of the children visiting the farm. We welcome teachers' input so we can compliment what the students are learning in the classroom.
For custom ag educational programs for high school and adult groups, please phone us and we can help you plan a unique down on the farm environmental/agricultural learning experience. We do have adults and university students intern with us. We also offer outreach programs for adults and high school students.
The purpose of all of our programs is to educate children in agriculture and ag-environmental sciences in an informal, hands-on atmosphere that supplements the classroom curriculum. We believe the "visual" experience that we offer greatly enhances a child's (and adults') academic learning. All the staff at Sharp Farm is dedicated to promoting the educational experience with each visit to our farm.
Open House Days are educational programs available to Home-school groups or children not visiting with a school group. For more information click here.
- Spring - Spring is the season of planting in the greenhouse, geese hatching on the ponds, gardens and fields being planted, and the farm ponds wake up to a new year. We feature 6 tours in the spring.
- Summer - What a great summer mini-vacation for your camp or family group. We've low minimum numbers for tours, so gather your family and friends or schedule your camp group to see us. All our spring tour programs will continue into the summer.
- Fall - Each fall we offer pumpkin picking, hayrides, campfires, corn mazes, farm animals, observation beehives, nature trails and much more. We offer 4 programs in the fall season.