2026 marks our 15th year of operation. Throughout the year we will be honoring our history and celebrating this milestone!
This year's theme will be:
Steeped in history, growing a sustainable future!
Heritage Creek Farm is a first-generation, family-owned and operated farm specializing in diversified vegetables and small fruits. We not only grow food — we cultivate connection. Our farm offers a wide variety of hands-on, agriculture-based experiences for youth and families, rooted in our commitment to community, education, and sustainability.
Whether you're exploring the fields, learning about food production, or simply enjoying time outdoors, Heritage Creek Farm is a place to connect — with the land, with food, and with each other.
Interest in our summer camps often exceeds the number of available spots—especially when campers register for multiple sessions. To ensure a fair process, we use a lottery-style registration system. This approach helps maximize opportunities for as many children as possible to attend Farm Camp, ensuring that spots are filled fairly and inclusively across all sessions.
The lottery for our 2026 summer camps will be open from January 5–16.
We aim to complete as much of the administrative work for summer camp as possible before our spring farming season begins.
To receive updates and registration details, make sure you're subscribed to our email list.
Learn more about our summer programs:
Our popular Homeschool Program is designed for students ages 6 and up, offering rich, hands-on learning experiences in an outdoor farm setting.
The program is divided into two seasonal blocks:
Over the course of the school year, students participate in 22 days of immersive, farm-based education. The farm itself serves as an open-air classroom, where nature is the teacher and our experienced farm educators guide learning through the lens of agriculture and environmental literacy.
Through exploration, observation, and active engagement, participants develop a deeper understanding of the natural world, food systems, and the rhythms of the seasons—all while building meaningful connections to the land and all those we share the planet with.
Looking for a unique and meaningful experience? Our farm offers hands-on, memorable activities for kids, families, and groups — all year round!
Plan your visit:
Discover the magic of farm life through interactive learning experiences tailored for schools, homeschool groups, clubs, and organizations.
Community Events at Heritage Creek Farm
Celebrate the Seasons, Connect with Nature
Heritage Creek Farm invites the community to take part in a year-round series of seasonal events that highlight the richness of agriculture, the wonders of the natural world, and time-honored rural traditions. Whether you're young or simply young at heart, these hands-on experiences offer families meaningful opportunities to explore environmental stewardship, engage with farm life, and connect through the rhythms of the land.
Explore the farm throughout the agricultural season and enjoy memorable moments with your loved ones in a relaxed, outdoor setting. From sowing seeds in the greenhouse to discovering how animals prepare for winter, each event is designed to inspire curiosity about the environment and celebrate the cycles of the seasons.
Upcoming Community Events
Saturday, October 25 - 12:30 - 4:30 pm
Autumn Showcase & Pumpkin Derby Car Contest
Celebrate the fall harvest with seasonal activities, and our STEM Challenge Pumpkin Derby Car Display and Race.
Saturday, December 6 - 11 am - 3 pm
‘Twas the Night Before Hibernation
A cozy, winter-themed experience that explores how animals and ecosystems prepare for the cold months ahead. Discover the old-world traditions at this time of year!
Watch for our 2026 Family Series to be announced soon!
Join us as we celebrate the land, the seasons, and the connections we share through agriculture and nature at Heritage Creek Farm.
We offer a variety of programs to bring the farm into the classroom. We have agricultural-based curriculum for students of all ages. Contact us for more information. We are happy to design a farm-to-school activity in your classroom to meet your curricular goals.
This unique program is designed for teens 13+ that are interested in spending time on the farm over the summer. Through hands-on activities and mentorship with our farm educators, teens learn about agriculture, plant and animal science, and develop a variety of practical life skills.
Why We Teach Full Circle Learning at the Farm
At Heritage Creek Farm and Education Center, Full Circle Learning transforms agriculture and land stewardship into a holistic, hands-on education. This approach goes beyond growing food—it nurtures people of all ages to become thoughtful individuals, environmental and cultural stewards, and active participants in shaping their communities.
Our Full Circle Learning Program integrates a wide scope of academic subjects with practical farm activities and practices. As participants care for plants, animals, and natural systems, they also develop key life skills—responsibility, empathy, patience, collaboration, and problem-solving—while exploring larger issues such as food justice, sustainability, and climate resilience.
Rooted in both modern science and ancestral knowledge, this approach honors traditional and Indigenous farming practices and heritage foodways, cultivating respect for the land and preserving cultural traditions. Creative expression—through art, music, storytelling, and writing—is woven throughout, helping participants connect personally and meaningfully to their learning.
Through diverse, hands-on activities and projects, participants actively engage in civic initiatives, experiencing the farm as more than a classroom—but as a world ecosystem. At Heritage Creek, the farm is a living space where people experience the interconnectedness of nature, culture, and community, and learn how their actions shape a sustainable future. It becomes a place of purpose and meaningful connection, where they are empowered to make a difference in their communities and the world.
By embracing the wisdom of the past and applying it through hands-on land stewardship, STEM learning, life skills, and heritage preservation, Full Circle Learning equips people to grow in knowledge, character, and leadership, cultivating a future rooted in sustainability, equity, and community resilience.
Heritage Creek is an educational initiative dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles, fostering environmental stewardship, and modeling socially responsible ways to create lasting, positive change.
Our farm is rooted in Regenerative Agriculture, a farming practice that restores soil health and supports biodiversity. We grow nutritious, sustainably produced food for our community while offering farm-based educational programs that inspire learners of all ages to connect with the land and become thoughtful stewards of the environment.
By teaching a holistic approach to farming, we hope to help people see food production through a new lens and understand that the way food is grown directly affects its quality and nutritional value — ultimately influencing human health, environmental sustainability, and food security.
Our intention is to sow the seeds of a new generation of farmers and conscious consumers — individuals who value how food is grown and understand the profound impact farming practices have on the environment and public health.
The fruits of our labor are visible in the bountiful harvests that nourish not only the body, but also a strong sense of community.
We measure success not just by yields, but by teachable moments — meaningful connections that root people more deeply to the earth and the origins of their food.
Through a variety of hands-on, outdoor programs on the farm, participants gain a deeper understanding of plant and animal science. These immersive experiences help visitors explore the fundamentals of agriculture while cultivating a genuine appreciation for the time, effort, and care involved in growing food.
Inspired by the wonders of nature and the joys of discovery, our learning stations invite children and families to explore the farm, fields, forest, and creek — sparking curiosity and a deeper connection to the natural world
“Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water bugs, tadpoles, frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts, trees to climb. Brooks to wade, water lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees, butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields, pine-cones, rocks to roll, sand, snakes, huckleberries and hornets; and any child who has been deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of education.”
― Luther Burbank
Organic farming dwells deep within my soul. My youthful memories are filled with walking barefoot in warm soil, nurturing crops to ripeness, harvesting produce for daily meals, and preserving food for winter storage. I am a child of the organic movement, inspired locally by the Rodale Institute and Gene Logsdon. From seedling to adulthood, I have been nourished by wholesome food and steeped in the love of caretaking the land.
We live in a fast-paced age of technology where a lifestyle rooted in the simplicity of farm life is like finding a pearl inside an oyster. Children are growing up without experiencing the wonders of nature. The art of growing our own food is becoming a lost tradition, urgently in need of revitalization.
Our farm’s mission is to plant the seeds of learning. By teaching regenerative agricultural practices, we spark meaningful conversations, ignite environmental awareness, and model how individual actions can create positive change in our world.
At Heritage Creek, we hope to cultivate a new generation that values a healthy lifestyle and understands the local and global responsibilities of caring for the environment. Our mission is twofold—raising wholesome food and educating and encouraging people to grow their own.
Heritage Creek Farm offers an authentic farm experience and is a popular destination for school field trips. Our summer camp welcomes children from Lancaster, York, Lebanon, Berks, and Dauphin Counties, as well as visiting children from other parts of the country who are spending the summer with family in South Central Pennsylvania.
Here in Lancaster County, PA, we are blessed with a mild climate, plentiful rainfall, and rich soil. Southeastern Pennsylvania is also rich in values, traditions, culture, and knowledge passed down through generations. Our owner, Cindi Hughes, comes from a long line of ancestors who deeply valued the importance of growing and preserving their own food.
At Heritage Creek, we believe the art of agriculture holds historic and cultural significance worthy of preservation. We are rooted in the legacy and history of farming—drawing from our deep roots while integrating modern knowledge—to embrace a broad and sustainable approach to food production.
The small creek that meanders through our 26+ acre hillside property is a tributary of the Little Chiques Creek. We are a small part of a larger network of waterways that flow into the Susquehanna River and eventually the Chesapeake Bay. This creek and its surrounding riparian buffer create a vibrant wetland ecosystem, offering campers a unique space to explore and a refreshing spot to cool off on hot summer days.
The lower farm pavilion is located by the creek and is used for field trips and summer camp dining, and large group events/presentations.
The Forest Classroom provides an open-air space on the lower farm. This building is use for Art and STEM and medium sized group activities.
The Little Seeds Classroom/Deck is used for large group events, fiber arts activities and Parent/Child Program. It is also a quiet space for reading and playing board games.
The historic farmhouse was built in the 1890's is used for a variety of farm related purposes. Its upstairs bedrooms are used for overnight guests of the farm.
The new farmhouse was built in 2022 and is currently a private residence on the upper farm.
The "Market Building" is an open-air outbuilding on the upper farm and used for a variety of agriculturally related purposes.
This greenhouse when not being used to start seedlings or curing vegetables, provides a warm conversation space for visitors during the colder months.
This 1800 square feet greenhouse has a plant propagation station and a botany lab offering visitors opportunities to explore plants in various stages of growth. It is used for our retail nursery during the spring months.
This greenhouse when not being used to start seedlings or curing vegetables, provides a warm conversation space for visitors during the colder months.
The Production Barn is on the upper farm and is the CSA pick up location. It is also the space used for Technology and Mechanical Education.
To reserve/receive information about field trips, submit the Inquiry Form. Programs include: homeschool enrichment program, and Oak & Acorns Parent/Child Program. Join us for Community Farm when the farm is open to the public - October 25 and December 6. Register for Seasonal Farm Camp on Monday, October 13 (Indigenous Peoples Day). Participate in the 2025 STEM Challenge - Build and Race a Pumpkin Derby Car.