Farm to Table Kids: Betting on Yourself, Following Nature, and Rebuilding Again

Stephanie McDonough’s journey is a powerful reminder that farm education isn’t tied to one piece of land — it’s rooted in purpose, persistence, and heart. From childhood days in her grandfather’s flower garden to building thriving farm camps and school partnerships, Steph’s path has been anything but linear.

In this episode, Steph shares the deeply personal story behind Farm to Table Kids — including land loss, reinvention, and why she believes nature always shows us the next step, if we’re willing to listen.

You’ll hear:
🌸 How gardening with her grandfather shaped her lifelong connection to nature
🏀 Why she left a successful business career (including the NBA) to follow a deeper calling
🌱 How a simple moms’ garden class in her backyard unexpectedly turned into a movement
🍅 What restaurant gardens taught her about community, scale, and teaching kids through food
😥 How her son's stage 4 cancer diagnosis changed everything - and why staying close to her kids shaped her next business decisions
💔 The heartbreaking moment she lost her farm lease — and how she found the courage to start again
🌻 How she rebuilt Farm to Table Kids at new locations, including a Waldorf school campus and a partner farm
🏕️ The behind-the-scenes story of launching a summer farm camp during one of the hardest seasons of her life
🏫 How schools and organizations found her through social media — and what makes partnerships thrive
📋 Why she shifted from nonprofit to LLC, and how that decision helped her stay nimble
🌿 Her honest advice for educators navigating burnout, uncertainty, or major life transitions

This conversation is full of grit, grace, and reassurance that starting where you are — even in a backyard — can lead to something lasting.

Learn more about Steph & Farm to Table Kids
🌐 https://www.farmtotablekids.org
📸 Instagram: Farm to Table Kids
🌼 Personal account: Farmer Steph

The Farm Educator’s Roadmap
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🤝 Private Facebook Group: The Farm Educator’s Roadmap Community

Letting the Land Lead: Growing a Farm Education Business One Step at a Time at Heritage Creek Farm

Cindi Hughes is the founder of Heritage Creek Farm & Education Center, and in this episode, she shares the very real, very grounded story of how she built her farm education programs over the past 14 years — without growing up on a farm, without a formal education background, and without chasing constant expansion.

From a childhood garden and food preservation to a career in accounting, Cindi’s path shows how life experience, patience, and thoughtful systems can come together to create a deeply authentic, sustainable farm education business. This conversation is full of insight for anyone wondering how to actually start, how to pace growth, and how to stay aligned with your values along the way.

You’ll hear: 🌱
🌻 How a childhood garden and preserving food shaped Cindi’s passion for farm education
🍽️ Why accounting and restaurant work turned out to be powerful preparation for entrepreneurship
🏕️ What Heritage Creek looked like in the very beginning — just a few weeks of camp and lots of volunteers
🌾 How Cindi let the farm itself (not themes or lesson plans) become the driver of her programming
🤝 Why word-of-mouth and community connections have been her primary form of marketing
💰 How education became the farm’s “cash crop,” even when food production is part of the picture
🔄 What “Full Circle Learning” looks like on the ground — blending agriculture, history, art, and practical life skills
🧮 A powerful example of integrating math, farming, and business through a school Mobile Market program
🌳 Why unstructured free play is intentionally built into the daily rhythm of camp
📋 How advanced preparation (not expensive software) keeps the business side sustainable
🥕 How the CSA evolved into a farm-to-table experience directly connected to camp families
🌱 Encouragement for new farm educators to ask for help and lean into community

Learn more about Heritage Creek Farm & Education Center
🌐 Website: https://www.heritagecreekfarmcamp.com
📘 Facebook: Heritage Creek Farm Camp

Farm Educator’s Roadmap
🌱 Website: https://www.farmeducatorsroadmap.com
🎁 Free Guide: 👉 https://www.farmeducatorsroadmap.com/fivesimplesteps
📸 Instagram: @farmeducatorsroadmap
📘 Facebook Page: @farmeducatorsroadmap
👩‍🌾 Private FB community for farm educators: Join us!

If this episode resonated with you, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with another farm educator who might need this encouragement.

Bloomsbury Farm School didn’t start as a grand plan — it started as one farmer, one child, one teacher, and a whole lot of listening to what the land and community were asking for.

In this episode, I’m joined by founder and farm owner Lauren Palmer and Director Shannon Wilhelm for an honest conversation about how Bloomsbury grew from a small outdoor experiment into a full farm-based homeschool program — and what it really takes to keep something like this sustainable.

🌱 You’ll hear:
🌾 How Bloomsbury Farm School grew from one family learning inside Lauren's home into a multi-program farm school serving over a hundred children weekly
🌿 Why the combination of nature-based learning and academics filled a real gap for families looking beyond traditional schooling
🐦 What "emergent, child-led learning" looks like in practice - including how teachers pivot lessons based on things like bird migration, seasonal changes, and student curiosity
👩‍🏫 Why hiring and retaining educators who can teach outside, in all weather, with flexibility and heart is one of their biggest ongoing challenges
🚜 The behind-the-scenes realities of running a school on a working farm, from delivery trucks and tractors to icy driveways and shared spaces
💛 The surprise blessings - from deep family trust to watching children grow up connected to land, food, community.

If you’ve ever wondered what it really looks like to build a farm school — beyond the dreamy photos — this conversation pulls back the curtain in the best way.

🔗 Learn more
Bloomsbury Farm School & Bloomsbury Farms
Website: https://www.bloomsburyfarms.com
Instagram: @bloomsburyfarmschool

🌾 Farm Educator’s Roadmap
Website: https://www.farmeducatorsroadmap.com
Free Guide: https://www.farmeducatorsroadmap.com/fivesimplesteps
Instagram: @farmeducatorsroadmap
Facebook: @farmeducatorsroadmap
Private Facebook Group: Join us!