The Stratford Woods State Nature Preserve is privately owned and operated by a non-profit organization, the Stratford Ecological Center. Education is the primary mission of the Center. Seven nearby counties send their children to Stratford on field trips where they learn about nature and farming. In the summer the Ecological Center offers a popular Farm Camp for kids. During the growing season there’s also a Nature Club for youngsters in which they learn to tend the Giving Garden. In the first year of cultivation, 660 pounds of organically-grown produce harvested from the Giving Garden were donated to a local food bank. The Center also offers several internship programs for young adults. In a typical year, about 3500 school children participate in field trips at Stratford Ecological Center which also sees about 8000 other visitors.
Since farming is such an important focus of the Center, let’s take a look at the farm.
