Flourish-  a food and farming program for children believes that when children are allowed to explore the natural world, participate in nature activities, learn about food and engage in fun social interactions they can flourish. 

Located in Birdsboro, PA , Flourish is a safe and supportive environment where children are allowed to fully be themselves. We offer hands on, experiential learning that fosters growth, problem solving, creativity and critical thinking. 

Through an array of activities in the garden and in the kitchen, children are encouraged to develop skills that will foster lifelong habits leading to health and happiness. 

Working in the garden, children develop senses of wonder and responsibility- seeding, planting, watering, caring for plants. They also learn about food- where it comes from and how it is grown. 

When we harvest, we get to enjoy the fruits of our labor by creating simple dishes with our produce. Children learn basic culinary skills during our time in the kitchen and they are encouraged to experiment and be creative! They are also learning how to listen to their bodies and develop a sense of intuition about food. 

We provide real life practical opportunities for children to learn science, math, team building, cooperation, writing and more.  The program fosters empowerment, social interaction and self confidence. 

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4-8 year olds

Thursdays 10-1:30 pm

$40 per day per child

Throughout our time together, we will be exploring the gardens, the woods, connecting to nature and the bounty of the season.

We will be in the garden working the soil, seeding, transplanting plants and harvesting food.

The children begin to develop an appreciation for growing their own food and are so excited to harvest what is available.

We prepare simple dishes with what has been harvested as the children learn about kitchen safety, knife skills, different simple cooking techniques.

Children are encouraged to try what they make and are also encouraged to nibble and taste as we move through the gardens. It is a safe environment for kids who tend to be more picky with their eating habits, as they typically will taste what they have harvested and prepared. This experience allows them to expand their food preferences as well as build self confidence and self sufficiency.

Dates:

June 5, 12, 19, 26

July 10, 17, 24, 31

7-11 year olds

Fridays 10-2

$45 per child per day

Children in this group are creating and designing their own garden beds,  seeding, transplanting, composting, harvesting and cooking! Children learn the basics of soil science and healthy plants as well as how to keep their bodies healthy.

We will also be exploring wild edibles and cultivated herbs- using them in our dishes as well as making some herbal concoctions like vinegars, honeys, oxymels and more!

Children begin to develop more sophisticated culinary skills- sautéing, roasting, baking.

We work with different recipes (reading recipes, doubling recipes, measuring, coming up with our own creations and writing those down).

We have different guests who come to speak to the children about different growing techniques (i.e traditions of the Lenape Indians, biodynamics, etc.).

Dates:

June 6, 13, 29, 27

July 11, 18, 25

August 1

13-17 year old group

Tuesdays 10-2:30

$50 per day

June 10, 24

July 8, 22

This program is geared toward teens who enjoy being outside in nature and also enjoy cooking.

We take a deeper dive into different culinary techniques with more complicated dishes created with foods from the fields.

We dive into a bit of botany, plant identification and herbalism and health.

Children in this class will also make their own herbal preparations from the herbs available in the garden.

Children will also get to create their own recipes with ingredients that are available to them, allowing their creativity and intuition to shine!

Who we are:

Annmarie Cantrell :

I am a former early intervention specialist who worked with children for over 20 years.
About 20 years ago, I transitioned from this career into a career of food and wellness. I run a small sauerkraut business, do cooking classes, workshops and work privately with clients helping them to reconnect to their intuition when it comes to truly nourishing themselves. I also work with parents of children who are picky eaters, have food allergies, or diagnoses of ADD, autism, etc. and help the family create dietary interventions that can help heal the body. I personally believe that the amount of illness we see in our country is primarily due to our disconnection with nature. If we strive to truly be healthy, we need to restore our connection and learn to work with nature instead of trying to dominate it. That is why I am so excited to work again with young children in this way to reinforce the love of nature and its healing powers!

Sam Cantrell

My husband Sam has been farming organically for over 25 years and has a passion for teaching others about how to live in connection with nature, grow food sustainably and build community. For forty years, his mission statement has been “to improve public understanding of the importance of conservation and ecological thinking”.

At our previous home, Maysie’s Farm Conservation Center, which was both a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture farm) and a non-profit educational center, we ran numerous student programs that centered around farming and cooking. We are excited to once again offer these opportunities!

Jenna O’Connor

Jenna O’Connor has been attending Flourish with her now 8 year old son, Finnegan, since the summer of 2020. She has her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education with a focus in behavioral health. Jenna traded in her career in the traditional classroom for homeschooling in more informal and nature based settings. She was raised on a small family farm that evolved into her parents operated their own health food store. This hands on experience gave her a true respect to advocate for REAL food and all of it’s many benefits. 

Teaching, traveling, and exploring new cultures around the world were her passions before landing back in Berks County to help raise her bonus daughter and son. Now through Flourish she can see all of her worlds collide creating foods from our ancestors to be now be sharing with our children.