Policy · Co-op leaders and attending families
Homeschool event policy
Homeschool events are organised educational events for homeschool families, and may include children of different ages, parents and guardians, and other family members. This document sets out what is different from a school field trip.
Version 2.0 · 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
What a homeschool event is
A homeschool event is an organised Meadowlark Farm educational event, not an unrestricted family visit. It may include participants of different ages, and children who are not taking part in the primary educational activities.
It remains subject to our safety, group-management, and instructor-authority requirements — the same ones that apply to a school visit. Where this document sets a specific provision for homeschool events, that provision applies; all other provisions of the field trip policy remain in effect.
What it costs
Homeschool events are priced per person rather than per student, because parents are participants rather than chaperones assigned to somebody else's children.
| Price | What it covers | |
|---|---|---|
| A single farm day | $18.00 per person | Two hours of guided instruction, admission for the whole day, and farm produce for every participating child |
| Four-season pass | $56.00 per person | All 4 visits — bloom, fruit set, harvest, and dormancy — booked at once |
The season pass saves $16.00 per person against booking four days separately. Dates can be rescheduled freely, and a family joining mid-season pays the single-day rate for the visits they attend.
Everyone attending is counted
For a homeschool event, every individual physically attending is included in the operational headcount, whatever their age or participation status.
- Participating children
- Non-participating younger children
- Infants and toddlers
- Parents and guardians
- Any other accompanying adults
The headcount exists for safety, accountability, staffing, capacity, activity preparation, and emergency planning. It is how we know who is on eighty acres and how we account for your group if something goes wrong.
Headcount and fees are separate records. Being counted does not by itself mean someone is charged — children under three are counted and free.
Younger siblings are welcome
Unlike a conventional school trip, homeschool events can accommodate younger siblings and other children who come with their families but are not taking part in the main educational activities.
Non-participating children
- Stay under the direct supervision of their parent, guardian, or designated adult
- Are not participants in the educational activity unless the instructor specifically includes them
- Do not receive separate instruction or supervision from farm staff
- Follow all farm safety and behavioural expectations while on the property
Having them there does not change the structure or pacing of the educational programme — the instructor teaches the group that registered for it.
Moving as one group
The homeschool format does not allow participants to drift away from the organised group during the instructional programme. Children and accompanying adults follow the instructor's directions on group movement and activity participation.
- Children may not leave the assigned group without telling an instructor
- Parents and guardians may not independently remove a participating child from the group without telling the instructor
- Families may not redirect children to other activities or explore independently during the instructional programme without instructor approval
- If a participant needs to step away, tell the instructor — and follow their direction on when and how to rejoin
Once the programme ends, the farm is yours for the rest of the day at no extra admission.
What we ask of parents and guardians
Parents and guardians remain responsible for supervising their own children, including younger ones who are not taking part.
- Follow instructor directions
- Reinforce our behavioural expectations
- Keep children within the appropriate areas
- Tell the instructor before leaving the group
- Support safe and respectful participation
Parental supervision sits alongside the organised structure of the event rather than replacing it. You are here to learn it too — the instructor teaches to the adults as much as the children.
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
Arrival and timing
You are arriving in cars rather than on a bus, so the gate opens twenty minutes before the programme starts. Come inside that window and a late family does not hold up the group.
The guided programme begins at its scheduled time and ends at its scheduled time. Arriving early does not extend it, and we cannot extend it for late arrivals.
Weather
These are outdoor events and generally run in a range of conditions. If severe weather is forecast, the organiser should speak to the instructor no later than 7:30 a.m. on the day and we will decide together whether to modify, postpone, or cancel. We will make reasonable efforts to reschedule.
Registration, payment, and attendance
Registration, payment, and operational headcount are three separate records. Where a homeschool organisation handles registration or promotion, we may ask that partner for a final participant list or headcount before the event.
The final operational headcount should include everyone expected to physically attend, including people who are not taking part in the primary educational activity.
What taking part means
Taking part in a homeschool event is an acknowledgment that participants and accompanying adults are subject to the Meadowlark Farm field trip policies and this document. Organisers are responsible for making sure every attending family has read both before the day.
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