8:30 am – 9:30 am
Barn chores and hand washing
The barn
Farm-based nature preschool for ages 3 to 5
Mornings begin at the paddock gate
Dogwood is a nature preschool on a family farm outside Pittsboro. Children start with barn chores and a good hand wash, then spend the morning in the garden, the pasture and the woods edge, with a heated schoolhouse beside the barn to come back to.
A farm year
The year follows the farm
What we do changes with the animals, the garden and the weather, from the first weeks in the barn to the last salad in May.
- 01August and September
Step 1: Back to the barn
New and returning children meet the hens and goats, find their hooks in the schoolhouse and learn the barn rules: a calm walk, a quiet voice and clean hands.
- 02October and November
Step 2: Harvest and leaves
Sweet potatoes come out of the ground, apples get sorted and the leaves are raked into the wheelbarrow and carried to the compost.
- 03December and January
Step 3: Cold mornings
We check the water buckets for ice, give the hens extra straw and spend more of the morning by the schoolhouse, with short turns outside.
- 04February and March
Step 4: Seeds and spring babies
Seed trays go on the sunny sill and we watch the new baby goats from the gate, with an adult beside us.
- 05April
Step 5: The pasture turns green
We walk the fence line, plant the garden beds and learn which plants are weeds and which are dinner.
- 06May
Step 6: The last weeks
Children pick and wash the first salad, say a slow goodbye to the barn and take home what they planted.
Animal care
Chores first, and a hand wash after
Every morning starts in the barn. Children collect eggs, fill the water buckets and scatter the feed with an adult beside them, then walk to the wash station together.
Hand washing is part of the job, not a lecture. Children wash after touching an animal, a bucket or the soil, and again before snack and lunch.
Animals only with an adult beside
Soap and warm water after every chore
Boots stay at the barn door
A farm week
Each day has its own farm job
Every morning starts with barn chores and hand washing, and the rest of the morning follows the day's focus.
Fall session
Showing 15 of 15
Monday
9:30 am – 12:15 pm
Animal day: hens and goats
The barn
12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch and story circle
The schoolhouse
Tuesday
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Barn chores and hand washing
The barn
9:30 am – 12:15 pm
Garden and kitchen day
The garden
12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch and story circle
The schoolhouse
Wednesday
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Barn chores and hand washing
The barn
9:30 am – 12:15 pm
Orchard and pasture walk
The pasture
12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch and story circle
The schoolhouse
Thursday
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Barn chores and hand washing
The barn
9:30 am – 12:15 pm
Woods edge day
The woods edge
12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch and story circle
The schoolhouse
Friday
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Barn chores and hand washing
The barn
9:30 am – 12:15 pm
Make day: wool, clay and baking
The schoolhouse
12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch and story circle
The schoolhouse
Nothing matches that filter.
Sample classes.
Two-day children come on Tuesday and Thursday, three-day children on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and five-day children every day.
Programs
Two groups, and the days that fit your week
Mornings run from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. Pick the days that suit your family.
Younger group
3-year-olds
Adults to children: 1 adult to 15 childrenGroup size: 16A first year on the farm, learning the barn and the garden routines
- Two days8:30 am to 1:00 pm · Tue, ThuOffered
- Three days8:30 am to 1:00 pm · Mon, Wed, FriJoin the waitlist for a placeWaitlist
- Five days8:30 am to 1:00 pm · Mon to FriOffered
Older group
4-year-olds
Adults to children: 1 adult to 15 childrenGroup size: 16Bigger jobs in the barn and garden in the final year before kindergarten
- Two days8:30 am to 1:00 pm · Tue, ThuOffered
- Three days8:30 am to 1:00 pm · Mon, Wed, FriOffered
- Five days8:30 am to 1:00 pm · Mon to FriFull
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Holds your application and opens the enrollment file.
- Materials
- Covers seeds, wool, clay and art supplies for the year.
- Holding a place
- Keeps a place for your child once you accept an offer.
Every group meets from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm and keeps the same days all year.
Sample programs.
Safety and license
Who licenses us, and how we keep the farm day in order
License
Licensed by NCDHHS, DCDEE
Child care center license · NC License # 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 15 children
3-year-olds
Group size: 16
1 adult to 15 children
4-year-olds
Group size: 16
Group size
Up to 16 children
with 2 adults
Capacity
32
Ages 3 years to 5 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Mandated reporter training
- Food handler training
Safety routines
Hand washing after animals
Every child washes with soap and warm water after touching an animal, a water bucket or the soil, and before snack and lunch. An adult stands at the sink with them.
Animals only with an adult beside
Children meet the hens and goats one small job at a time, with an adult next to them. We teach a calm walk, a quiet voice and a closed gate.
Weather rules
We go out in rain and cold in the right layers. At the first thunder, or on a hard freeze, we move to the schoolhouse.
Headcounts
An adult counts the group when we leave the schoolhouse, at every stop and when we come back. One adult leads and one follows.
Sign-in and pickup
An adult signs each child in at the gate and out again at pickup. A child goes only with the people on your list, and we ask for ID until we know you.
Gates, boundaries and farm vehicles
Children learn the edges of their area in the first week and stay where an adult can see them. Tractors, trucks and farm tools stay on the far side of the gate during school hours.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
Our people
The adults you will meet at the barn gate
Two adults are with every group, and these are the ones at the gate most mornings.
Tallulah Jacobs
Director and lead teacher
Tallulah grew up on her grandparents' farm in Robeson County and has taught young children for most of her working life. She leads Dogwood, teaches the older group and is the first adult at the barn each morning.
Nehemiah Sikes
Assistant teacher and farm educator
Nehemiah runs the barn routines and the garden mornings. He knows each hen by her habits and teaches the children to wash up as they leave every pen.
Questions
Questions families ask first
What ages and hours do you have?
Dogwood is for children from age 3 until they start kindergarten, in a younger and an older group. Mornings run from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, and children come two, three or five days a week.
Is there an indoor space?
Yes. A heated schoolhouse beside the barn is our indoor base. We go there for lunch, story circle, make days and any time the weather asks.
What happens when it rains or freezes?
We go out in the right layers for rain and cold, and we move to the schoolhouse for thunder and a hard freeze.
Do the children handle the animals?
Yes, one small job at a time, with an adult beside them: collecting eggs, filling water buckets and scattering feed. Everyone washes their hands afterward.
How do I see the farm?
Book a tour. A tour is a walk around the farm with the group on a school morning, and children are welcome to come along.
Is Dogwood licensed?
Dogwood is a licensed child care center in North Carolina. Each age group has its own number of adults, shown beside the license.
Come and see the barn on a school morning
A tour is a walk around the farm with the group. Bring your boots, and your questions.