I Tried It: A Grown-Up Field Trip to the Farm
FarmerJawn recently launched weekly, $10 trips to their West Chester location. Here's what you can expect.
Christa Barfield leads weekend field trips at FarmerJawn’s West Chester location. / Photography by Laura Swartz
Nothing beat field trip day at school. You’d show up in the morning, and instead of your regular routine, you’d be whisked away with your friends on a school bus to some far-off place like the Franklin Institute, Old City, or — and this really was a field trip we took in my elementary school — a water-treatment plant. Maybe you’d even buy a pencil sharpener shaped like the Liberty Bell with the five dollars your mom packed you. Oh, the places you’d go!
But we’re the grownups now, and driving along to a GPS just doesn’t hit the same as giggling along with your friends in the back of the bus.
Now FarmerJawn, the urban farming initiative led by James Beard Award-winning farmer Christa Barfield, has launched Saturday Field Trips to bring some of that magic back. Each Saturday through October, city dwellers can board a yellow school bus and travel out to FarmerJawn’s West Chester farm to take a tour, shop the farmer’s market, connect with the origins of our food, and engage with sustainable agriculture practices.
One rainy Saturday morning, I climbed aboard the school bus at Boathouse Row’s Lloyd Hall and took a scenic ride out FarmerJawn’s 123-acre farm at the Westtown School. As we rode along, trip-goers received fresh juice (from FarmerJawn partner Nourish) and fruit from the farm. (After all, what’s a field trip without snacks?)
We disembarked at the Westtown School’s farm, greeted by Barfield at the on-site market, whose chalkboard sign declared “Agriculture is the Culture.” FarmerJawn is the largest Black woman-owned farm in the nation, and those words reflect Barfield’s missions of community, sustainability, and food sovereignty.
Undeterred by the rain, we toured the farm and learned about their methods, facilities, community connections, and goals for the future. Soon, Barfield tells us as we walk past a giant compost field, they will be certified organic.
As with any good field trip, we learned new words like “hoophouse” (that’s where there will soon be lots of flowers for make-your-own bouquets), met cute animals (baby chicks!), had a fun photo op (you can climb onto the big, blue tractor for that), and did hands-on activities.
Inside the greenhouse, we picked and tasted fresh herbs. In the market’s community space, we potted our own take-home plants “to keep growing change.”
Speaking of that market, the trip is worth it for the shopping alone. First off, the $10 you spend for your trip ticket is applied to your market purchase of $30 or more, so your trip is essentially free.
And the farm store itself is a showcase for the region’s best: It features not only FarmerJawn’s own organic produce but also produce and other goods from Philly-based farmers, makers, and small businesses. Tea and honey from Barfield’s own Viva Leaf label join Poi Dog’s Chili Peppah Water, HotBox Philly’s hot sauces, and Kensington Food Company’s pasta on the shelves. (And speaking of Kensington, Barfield will soon open a market outpost there, called CornerJawn.)
Your ticket also includes a tasting at the market, so you can get back on the bus with a full tote bag and a full belly.
But FarmerJawn’s field trips aren’t just about a fun day out — they’re an invitation to rethink the way we eat, shop, and live. Barfield’s mission is rooted in education and empowerment, and this new program offers an accessible entry point for anyone curious about food systems, sustainability, or just in search of a refreshing weekend outing.
Field Trip Saturdays run weekly through October. Reservations are required and can be made at farmerjawn.co.
