Policy · Teachers, chaperones, and school administrators
Field trip policy
The definitions, roles, and expectations that apply to every student, chaperone, parent, and accompanying adult on a school visit to Meadowlark Farm.
Version 3.0 · Updated 3 September 2026
Why these policies exist
These expectations exist so that every student is accounted for, safe, and able to take part in a shared educational experience. Clear boundaries are what let our staff run genuine hands-on learning in an outdoor farm environment rather than spending the visit managing the group.
Meadowlark Farm is private property, not public land. The entrance fee covers farm operations, educational programming, and the safety of everyone taking part. It goes directly into maintaining the farm, staffing instructors, and running the hands-on activities your students come for.
What we are trying to do here
- Grow delicious, healthy food for our customers
- Practice careful land stewardship and conscientious crop husbandry
- Support and collaborate with local farmers and businesses
- Commit to the standards of an estate cidery
- Be a place of honest and creative work
- Provide a place in Kansas nature to walk, play, drink, eat, and enjoy family and friends
Students
Students are the primary recipients of the field trip programme: school-aged children of five and older, and older participants, who are registered to take an active part in the educational activities.
Students are expected to
- Follow all safety instructions and behavioural expectations
- Remain with their assigned group at all times
- Participate respectfully and attentively
A student may be removed from an activity, or from the field trip, if an instructor or chaperone determines they are unable to follow safety guidelines or take part appropriately.
Chaperones and the chaperone leader
Chaperones are the designated adults responsible for supporting, supervising, and modelling appropriate behaviour for students during the visit.
Chaperones are expected to
- Actively support instructors and follow all instructions
- Encourage students to take part fully and safely
- Reinforce group rules and behavioural expectations
The chaperone leader — usually the teacher — also
- Works with the instructor to build the lesson plan before the visit
- Carries emergency contact information for every student
- Brings a first-aid kit, bug spray, and sunscreen
- Manages any required medications or medical devices for students in their care
One chaperone per 5 students is admitted free. Additional adults pay standard farm admission — see “Fees and what they include”.
Support staff for special education and IDD programmes
For visits serving special education programmes or participants with intellectual and developmental disabilities, some accompanying adults are not general chaperones but essential support staff — there for accessibility, safety, behavioural support, communication, mobility, or medical assistance.
That includes direct support professionals, paraprofessionals, behavioural aides, medical aides, interpreters, and mobility assistants.
When it is arranged in advance, we do not charge field trip admission for required one-to-one support staff serving in an essential accessibility or care role. Tell us during planning and we will build the day around what your group needs.
Support staff are still expected to supervise the participants assigned to them, follow instructor directions, and support the safety and organisation of the group as a whole. This applies to scheduled field trips and educational programming; standard admission applies on ordinary farm visits.
Instructors
Instructors are Meadowlark Farm staff who plan and lead the experience. They have full authority during the visit to ensure safety, accountability, and educational effectiveness.
Instructors are responsible for
- Building the lesson plan with the chaperone leader before the visit
- Inspecting activity areas in advance and mitigating hazards where possible
- Operating any farm vehicles, tools, or equipment used in the programme
- Managing timing, safety, and group flow alongside the chaperone leader
- Making the final decisions on participation, safety, and activity structure
- Bringing a first-aid kit
Third-party coordinators
Where a third-party organisation helps coordinate a visit, the roles need to be clear from the start.
Coordinators are responsible for
- Coordinating logistics between the school and the farm
- Communicating scheduling details, group size, and special requests
- Making sure teachers receive our policies and programme expectations
- Supporting alignment between all parties before the visit
Coordinators are not responsible for
- On-site student supervision
- Direct instruction or management of student behaviour
- Changing the programme structure without prior agreement with us
Include Meadowlark Farm in the conversation early. When we are brought in late, the school, the coordinator, and the farm usually turn out to be planning three different days.
What to wear and bring
This is a working orchard with tools, uneven ground, insects, and animals. For safety and comfort, everyone taking part is required to wear long sleeves, long trousers, and closed-toe shoes. Sandals and open-toe footwear are not permitted in the orchard.
Anyone who arrives without them may be asked to sit out particular activities. We would much rather tell you now than turn a student away at the gate.
Bring with you
- A filled water bottle for every person — there is no drinking-quality running water on site
- Snacks, and lunch if you are staying through it
- Bug spray and sunscreen in the warmer months
Staying with the group
For safety, accountability, and instructional continuity, every registered student stays with their assigned group throughout the programme.
- Students may not be separated from the group or redirected to other activities without explicit instructor approval
- Parents, guardians, and chaperones may not take students out of the group for independent exploration
- Unauthorised separation breaks headcounts, supervision, and emergency response, and is not permitted
Failure to comply may result in immediate re-grouping, or removal from the activity without refund.
Younger siblings and non-participating children
School field trips are designed for registered students. Younger siblings, including infants and toddlers, are not students and can significantly affect the group's focus, pacing, and safety, so bringing them along is strongly discouraged.
If they do come, they must stay with a designated adult who is not a field trip chaperone, and may not join the student group during activities. There is a playground and open picnic space where they can wait comfortably. Instructors are not responsible for supervising or accommodating non-participating children.
If you want programming for younger siblings, ask — we can run a separate age-appropriate visit on another date, or add a dedicated instructor to your day, subject to availability and an additional fee.
Arrival, late arrival, and no-shows
No-show
A group that does not attend its scheduled visit without advance notice is a no-show. No refunds are issued.
Arriving late
You are still welcome to join whatever remains of the schedule, but the visit ends at its original finish time. We cannot extend it — instructors, facilities, and activity areas are often committed to other groups or to farm operations. No refunds or reductions are given for time missed.
Arriving early
You are welcome to enjoy the grounds and public areas before you start. Guided activities still begin at the scheduled time, and arriving early does not extend the visit.
Weather
Field trips are outdoor experiences and generally run in a range of conditions. Severe weather may mean modifying, postponing, or cancelling.
If the forecast looks like it will affect your visit, the chaperone leader should speak to the instructor directly no later than 7:30 a.m. on the day. We decide together, and we will make reasonable efforts to reschedule, subject to availability.
Fees and what they include
The two-hour field trip fee is $14 per child, with a $200 minimum per group. One adult per five children comes free; additional adults are $14 each.
| Students | Two-hour group fee | Cost per student |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | $200.00 | $20.00 |
| 15 | $210.00 | $14.00 |
| 20 | $280.00 | $14.00 |
| 30 | $420.00 | $14.00 |
| 45 | $630.00 | $14.00 |
| 70 | $980.00 | $14.00 |
The fee includes
- Admission to Meadowlark Farm for the whole day
- One complimentary adult admission for every 5 children
- All guided educational activities
- Farm produce for each participating student — four apples, four peaches, a pumpkin, or a non-alcoholic beverage, depending on what is in season
All produce offerings are subject to availability on the day of your visit.
How to pay
We invoice against a purchase order — we do not need a card. Payment and the signed acknowledgment are both due one week before the visit. If your school is tax-exempt, send the certificate with your booking.
How long it runs
The fee covers two hours of guided instruction led by our staff. You do not have to leave when it ends — your group is welcome to stay on the farm during regular operating hours at no additional admission.
Groups wanting a longer guided programme can buy additional two-hour blocks at the applicable group rate; a four-hour guided programme is two blocks. Activities outside the guided programme, including pick-your-own, are not included, and produce and farm products can be bought separately at the usual rates.
Additional adults and non-participating visitors
Non-participating visitors are welcome on the farm but are not part of the programme, its activities, or its supervision, and must stay with their accompanying adult throughout.
One adult per 5 children joins the programme free. Adults beyond that ratio are charged the same $14.00 programme rate as a child, because they are taking part in the guided visit rather than walking the farm on ordinary admission.
Ordinary farm admission is separate and lower — $3.50 per person Wednesday to Friday and $4.00 at weekends from May 1 to October 31, or $3.50 per car from November 1 to April 30. That rate applies to visitors who are not part of the field trip programme.
Produce for chaperones, after the programme
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Apples and peaches | $3.50 per pound |
| Pumpkins | $0.89 per pound |
All purchases are optional and subject to availability on the day.
Liability and insurance
Meadowlark Farm, LLC carries commercial general liability insurance at $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate, which meets or exceeds applicable municipal requirements.
A certificate of insurance naming your district as additional insured is available on request. Ask when you book and we will send it the same week.
As an active agricultural environment, the farm carries inherent risks — uneven terrain, animals, tools, and outdoor conditions. Everyone visiting does so with an understanding of those risks.
Visiting schools and accompanying adults are responsible for
- Student supervision
- Behaviour management
- Ensuring students follow safety instructions
Visiting groups must maintain appropriate adult-to-student supervision ratios at all times. Meadowlark Farm, LLC is privately owned and operated, and all activities are conducted under its established guidelines.
Photography, media, and FERPA
We may photograph or record video during field trips to document learning experiences and farm programmes. Images may be used for educational, promotional, or informational purposes — our website, printed materials, and social media — and never in a way that is inappropriate or misleading. All photographs and recordings are the property of Meadowlark Farm, LLC.
By entering the property, visitors grant permission for their image to be captured and used without compensation. If you would rather not be photographed, tell a staff member on arrival or when photography is happening. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate that, though we cannot guarantee exclusion from background or group images.
We do not collect individual student photo permissions. We rely on your school's existing FERPA and photo/media consent procedures, and schools are responsible for having the right permissions in place before the visit.
Acknowledgment and signature
I have read and understand the Meadowlark Farm field trip policies, including participant expectations, safety rules, supervision requirements, and the fee structure. I agree to follow these policies and to ensure the students in my care comply during the field trip.
I understand that it is my responsibility as chaperone leader to review and explain all field trip expectations to every accompanying adult and student before activities begin.
I request that reasonable efforts be made to exclude me and/or the students in my care from identifiable photographs or video recordings taken by Meadowlark Farm staff.
This signed acknowledgment is due one week before your scheduled field trip — the same date as payment.
Who to ask
Questions about a visit, a policy, or an accommodation go to either of us directly. Texting is the fastest way to reach the farm — we are usually outside.
- Tom Brown
- Owner — tom@themeadowlarkfarm.com
- Sayako Schwing
- Production Specialist — sayako.kanie@gmail.com
- Farm phone
- (316) 518-8907 — text or call
- Address
- 11249 SW 160th St, Rose Hill, KS 67133