farming, leadership, teamwork.

Youth Corps
Thisi program is for students who have just completed the 10th or 11th grade.

Youth Corps is a selective two-week summer leadership program for older students ready to embrace new levels of independence and responsibility at the farm. Corps members work on farm projects, train with senior staff, and develop teaching skills. Designed for rising juniors and seniors, the Youth Corps is a challenging program complete with hard work, important commitments and the efforts require to build and hold a close-knit community of farmers. Gradutates of the program are rewarded with life-skills, knowledge and experiences that prepare them for future endeavors both on and off the farm.

What does Youth Corps do?

Advance their Farm Skills: Youth Corps have a wide-variety of farming responsibilities: animal husbandry, carpentry and maintenance, work in the garden, cooking and cleaning, and other chores or projects that sustain the farm. Members participate in training blocks with knowledgeable staff, followed by hands-on projects where they put their new skills to use. The combination of training and meaningful farm work helps Youth Corps members build independence and confidence in their abilities and themselves.

Develop as Teachers: Youth Corps members are important role models for our younger students. Crew members shadow farm staff during select projects and activities with younger students and practice leadership roles in those same settings. Throughout, Youth Corps members participate in discussions with their leadership about what it means to be a teacher and how to help foster kindness, hard work, and independence in young students.

Build Independence: Youth Corps members develop life skills: time management, communication, adaptability, perseverance and problem solving. Students live and work in a residential setting, are responsible for being on time and ready each day, and are entrusted with leadership roles. These new levels of responsibility are one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the program. Youth Corps graduates report their experience helped them prepare for college and life beyond the farm.

Grow their Work Ethic: At Red Gate Farm, we believe that when young people take on difficult or hard work, they build confidence and grow as teammates and individuals. We ask Youth Corps to take on challenging projects and tasks that give them opportunities to push themselves. We maintain high expectations throughout. We want Youth Corps members to take pride in their work and see the importance of a job well done. Not all of the tasks require advanced skills or training. Members will spend some time each day helping with farm chores like washing dishes, raking, and taking out the trash. This work is just as critical to the farm as herding sheep or harvesting in the garden and we ask Youth Corps members to approach it with the same dedication and attention to detail.

Is There Tuition for Youth Corps? 

Yes. Tuition for Youth Corps is similar to our two week overnight program. As with all our summer programs, financial aid is available. 

Youth Corps is a hybrid role, designed to help young adults develop work skills and build confidence by offering them training and experience. Members test out new levels of responsibility and independence in a supportive environment with dedicated staff to help them along the way. Youth Corps members are not counselors or staff, but their experience in the program will help them develop many of the critical skills necessary for these roles if they choose to pursue them in the future.

helpful details to know…

Packing Information can be found in the Parent Portal or at this link.

Directions to the Farm are located here. Please drive slowly on our small back roads. This is a farming community and there are other children and families that walk on our roads, so your thoughtfulness will be greatly appreciated.

Arrival and Departure

Families should arrive at the farm on Sunday, July 25th, between 3pm and 4pm. Farm staff will be on site and ready to greet arrivals at this time.

Families should arrive at the farm on Friday, August 6, at 10am. There will be a brief tour and an opportunity for Youth Corps to share the farm and their projects with their families and friends. Families are asked to be ready to depart by 11:30am.

We will not be prepared for earlier arrivals. If you are arriving late, please contact the Farm Office (413-625-9503) to update us on your plan. Please drive slowly on our small back roads. This is a farming community and there are other children and families that walk on our roads, so your thoughtfulness will be greatly appreciated.

Families are reminded that dogs are not permitted on the farm (travelers must stay in cars).

Electronics

The farm thrives on community and a rustic way of life. In order to get the most out of our program experience, students should not bring any electronic devices including phones, cameras, tablets, readers, or games. Non-digital cameras are permitted, but may only be used in public spaces and when they will not disrupt the program.

Medications

All medications must be presented at check-in, and this includes any over-the-counter medications, vitamins, cough-drops, etc.  All medications must be in their original container, and caregivers must fill out and sign this form.

Food & Food Allergies

The farm provides fresh home-cooked, nutritional and healthy food options. Our menu options sometimes include meat, but there is always a vegetarian option provided. We can also accommodate other diets (gluten free, dairy free), but cannot necessarily accommodate every type of food sensitivity or allergy. Our farm kitchen does not cook or serve nuts but sometimes serves prepared foods (e.g. brownie mix) that may have been produced in a facility that is not guaranteed nut-free. Please contact the Farm Director for any specific questions or concerns.

Student Overnight Accomodations

Youth Corps members stay in cabins which sleep up to four students. Staff leaders reside nearby in the Farmhouse and student dormitory (the Roost). There are nearby private toilets, wash sinks and showers for student daily use. In order to provide the best program community experience, we do not accept requests for bunkmates or pairings. Cabin assignments will be provided upon member arrival.

Red Gate Farm works to accommodate our students who prefer all-gender accomodations. Your student may be assigned to an all-gender cabin. All-gender cabins are prioritized for students who are non-binary, or transgender with a preference for all-gender housing. Farm policy requires that rooms contain a minimum of three students. For this reason, in some circumstances students who identify as female or male may also be placed in all-gender cabins. If your child is interested in an all-gender room or you have questions, we encourage you to reach out to registration@redgatefarm.org.

Phone Calls

Summer programs are a time to focus on our new commmunity and commitments to each other. Phone calls disrupt the program routine and so only phone calls for student birthdays are allowed and must be arranged in advance with the farm office.

Letters and Packages

Students love getting written correspondence from family and friends. These letters create a meaningful and healthy connection to home, and become important keepsakes for years to come. We encourage families to share the farm address with friends and family to send letters.

Please do not send anything other than letters. Well-meaning care packages of food, magazines, or other items can disrupt the community that we are building on the farm. This mail will be held safely at the Farm Office until the end of program and returned to the student upon departure.

If you have questions about what to send, please ask! We are happy to help provide guidance, and thank you for supporting our farm community building.

Please be sure share this information with grandparents and friends who might wish to share things with your student. The address to send mail to is:

Student's Name
Red Gate Farm
4 Norman Road
Ashfield, MA 01330

Photos

We take pictures and some video throughout every program session. These are password protected and posted every few days online for sharing with parents during the program session. The goal is to share some of the day to day program experiences of the students with families at home. There is not an effort to photograph every student, and so we cannot guarantee that your student will be featured in a photograph.

Laundry

We do a mid-session laundry, and provide "emergency" laundry services in the case of a clothing mishap.

Want to learn more? We would love to talk with you!  Contact our registration team by emailing  registration@redgatefarm.org or calling the Farm Office (413) 625-9503.